Experimental insight into the Effect of Sound Intensity on

Diffusion Flames
by:

Pratik Tiwari
Abdur Rasheed
Hrishikesh Srivatsav
Navya Narayanam
&
Vinayak Malhotra
Department of Aerospace Engineering
SRM University, Chennai

Presentation at:
ASME 2015 Gas Turbine India Conference
December 01-2015, Hyderabad, India

Outline

Introduction
Diffusion Flame spread
Why study Sound in Flames?
Motivation and Objectives of study

Experimental setup
Solution methodology
Results & Discussion

Conclusions

Flame Spread: Introduction

Visible gaseous part of fire

Ingredients
Enough oxygen to sustain combustion
Some fuel or combustible material
Enough heat to reach ignition temperature

Flame spread
Diffusion flame propagating parallel to fuel surface

Flame spread rate

Rate at which flame spreads over solid fuel

Forward Heat Transfer (Heat feed back)

Part of thermal energy released in the flame by the chemical reactions, heats
up the fuel ahead.

Flame-spread classification
Visible flame

conduction
Preheat
length,lph

fuel vapor

conduction

radiation
Pyrolysis
Zone,lp

fuel
vapor

Flame fixed
Co-ordinates

Y
Pyrolysis
Zone,lp

Preheat
length,lph

radiation

spread direction
spread rate (Vf)

O
g

Flow direction

Opposed flow flame spread

Visible flame

Y
Flame fixed
Co-ordinates

Flow direction

Concurrent flow flame spread

Why Study Flame-spread?

Practical & functional significance with wide range of
engineering and scientific applications.
Fire Safety on Earth and in Space.
To predict the significant energy transfer as a result of
temperature difference.

Appreciable work had been done, but complexity had

prevented a complete understanding.
Understanding mechanisms controlling flame spread.

Experimental study ?
Validated experimental results will fundamentally improve
our understanding of flame spread behavior.
Helpful in giving better physical insight.
In Normal gravity atmosphere for laminar flow.

Why thin solid fuels used?

Easily ignited.
Spreads faster than thicker materials.
Experiments are feasible.

Role of an External Sound Source

Sound
pressure wave involving molecules compression and expansion.
Infrasound (20-200 Hz) & Ultrasound (20-100kHz).
Spreading flame interaction with sound from nearby source.

Flame- Sound Interaction

External sound source is likely to alter Forward heat transfer.
Altered flame spread behaviour and flammability.

Fire prevention, detection, suppression and Resourceful applications utilization.

Motivation and Objectives

Flame interaction with sound for opposed flow configuration in is an issue
yet to be comprehensively understood

Motivation of the work

Fire safety and resourceful utilization.
Objectives of the present study
To investigate effect of parameters, sound-source separation distance, position,
sound frequency, surface orientation, on opposed flow flame spread.
Examine the role of key controlling parameters.

Study operating conditions

Experimental study.

Purely convective environment in Normal gravity environment.

Thin solid fuel bond papers(75 gsm) used.

Experimental Setup

Side view

Experimental Apparatus

Top View

Front view

Solution methodology
Experimentation

Fuel strips marked at three regular intervals of 4 cm each.

Apex of fuel strip introduced to pilot flame.

Reading taken after uniform horizontal ignition.

Readings carried within 5 minutes to bring room atmosphere normal.

Optical setup to obtain shadowgraph of the propagating front.

,

Stopwatch used to measure the split times.

Regression rate is articulated as:

Regression Rate(r) = Distance Burnt(d) / Time taken(t)

Classical heat transfer theory: r

net

s s cs (TSurface T )

Repeatability of results is ensured for all the cases.

Validation of Experimental Predictions

Important observations

Horizontal
orientation
provides
maximum
spreading
rate
and
downward spread minimum.
(0-15o) - Momentous spread rate
drop, else gradual drop till downward.
Spread rate directly depends on Heat
feedback content.

0.6

Opposed Flow

Flame spread rate (cm/s)

Experimentation validation carried

out with flame spread rates variation
per surface orientation.

0.65

0.55
0.5
0.45
0.4
0.35
0.3
0.25
0.2

15

30

45

60

75

Fuel surface orientation (Degrees)

Predictions matches reasonably well

with benchmark work so expected to
give good physical insight.

90

Effect of Sound frequency on heat back

Surface orientation = Horizontal

Without Sound
Source distance =25 cm
Source distance =50 cm
Source distance =75 cm
Source distance =100 cm

Flame spread rate (cm/s)

0.65

0.6

0.55

0.5

0.45

0.28

Surface orientation = Vertical

Without Sound
Source distance = 25 cm
Source distance = 50 cm
Source distance = 75 cm
Source distance = 100 cm

0.27

Flame spread rate (cm/s)

0.7

0.26
0.25
0.24
0.23
0.22

0.4
0.21

0.35

500

1000

1500

Sound frequency (Hertz)

Important observations

2000

2500

0.2

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Sound frequency (Hertz)

Sound effect noted in wave form spread rates variation. Alters Forward heat transfer
at all orientations.
Far placed source at high frequency for horizontal spreading and at low frequency
for downward spreading flame results significant changes. Closely placed source
mostly increases Spread at all frequencies.
Horizontal spread (Maximum rise - 25 % at 500 Hz, 75 cm; Maximum drop- 28 %
at 1500 Hz, 100 cm). Downward spread (Maximum rise - 15 % at 500 Hz, 100 cm;
Maximum drop- 7 % at 2000 Hz, 100 cm).

Localized temperature and velocity fields affected by Compression and Rarefaction.

Inclined surface and varying frequency

Source orientation = 30 degrees
Without Sound
Source distance = 25 cm

0.32

Flame spread rate (cm/s)

0.28

0.27

Source distance = 50 cm
Source distance = 75 cm
Source distance = 100 cm

0.3

0.28

Flame spread rate (cm/s)

0.34

Source orientation = 60 degrees

Without Sound
Source distance = 25 cm
Source distance = 50 cm
Source distance = 75 cm
Source distance = 100 cm

0.26

0.25

0.24

0.26

0.23

0.24

500

1000

1500

Sound frequency (Hertz)

2000

2500

0.22

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

Sound frequency (Hertz)

Important observations
Fuel at 30 degree (Maximum spread rise -7% at 500 Hz, 100 cm; Maximum drop14% at 1000 Hz, 100 cm). Bringing source closer results spread drop.
Fuel at 60 degree (Maximum spread rise -100% at 500 Hz, 100 cm; Maximum drop8% at 1000 Hz, 75 cm). All source at high frequency (2500 Hz)results spread rise.
Strong compression localized field near ignition front results enhanced heat feedback
whereas strong expansion results drop reflected in spread rates.

Convection domination governs the rise and fall in heat feedback.

Sound frequency effect on inclined surface and heat transfer

Important observations

All source mostly results spread drop

which increases with frequency.

Bringing sound source closer results

rise in heat feedback.
Applications needing fire safety can be
processed with nearby sound source
placement and operation at high
frequency.

0.3

Flame spread rate (cm/s)

Fuel at 45 degree (Maximum spread

rise- 10% at 500 Hz, 100 cm;
Maximum drop- 9.5% at 2000 Hz, 100
cm).

Surface orientation = 45 Degrees

Without Sound
Source distance = 25 cm
Source distance = 50 cm
Source distance = 75 cm
Source distance = 100 cm

0.28

0.26

0.24

500

1000

1500

Sound frequency (Hertz)

2000

2500

Applications
needing
combustion
assistance can be managed with
distant sound source placement and Sound is cost effective, easily
available, cater wide range of wants
operation at low frequency.
and potentially effective source for
Within
permissible
limits,
any
combustion applications and safety
requirement of rise or drop in spread
concerns.
can be fulfilled easily and utilized.

Effect of sound source position on horizontal spread

Important observations
Horizontal flame spreading, Sound source
placed 41 cm below normal and sound
source orientation varied.

Sound source placed normal results rise

at all frequency. At 30 & 45 degree results
mostly drop. At 60 degree follows
increasing and decreasing tend than
without sound.

More drop noted at low frequency and

conversely rise at high frequency.
Heat transfer at any location may be
attributed to the immediate localized fields
and interactions resulting rise or drop.

Fuel surface orientation = Horizontal

Without Sound
Source orientation = 0 degrees
Source orientation = 30 degrees

0.7

Flame spread rate (cm/s)

Maximum spread rise- 18% at 2000 Hz,

sound source normal; Maximum drop23% at 500 Hz, sound source horizontal.

0.75

0.65
0.6
0.55
0.5
0.45

Source orientation = 45 degrees

Source orientation = 60 degrees
Source orientation = 90 degrees

0.4
0.35

500

1000

1500

Sound frequency (Hertz)

2000

2500

Effect of sound source position on downward spread

Important observations
Downward flame spreading, Sound
source placed 41 cm below normal and
sound source orientation varied.

Sound source placed normal results rise

at frequency below 1000 Hz and drop
above. Sound source placed horizontal
results drop at all frequency above 500
Hz.
At 30 follows decrease at all frequency. At
45 degree results in sinusoidal variation.

At 60 degree
frequency.

only

increase

with

Mostly drop noted at all frequency

credited to the sound causing drop in
cumulative heat transfer.

0.25

Flame spread rate (cm/s)

Maximum spread rise- 7% at 2000 Hz,

sound source at 60 degree; Maximum
drop- 7% at 100 Hz, sound source
horizontal.

0.26

Fuel surface orientation = Vertical

Without Sound
Source orientation = 0 degrees
Source orientation = 30 degrees

0.24

0.23

0.22

Source orientation = 45 degrees

Source orientation = 60 degrees
Source orientation = 90 degrees

0.21

0.2

500

1000

1500

Sound frequency (Hertz)

2000

2500

Conclusions
Effect of sound intensity on Diffusion flames
Role of sound
Sound primarily results in alteration of forward heat transfer.
Formation of Localized pressure and velocity fields governing interaction.
Sound Source location and frequency
Nearby placement at high frequency results in spread rate drop. Reasonable
placement at low frequency results significant rise.
Special placement
Sound source placed below normal result monotonic high deviation.
Fixed location with varying frequency can result in both rise and drop.
Only Rise: 75 cm-horizontal spread; Sound source at 60 degree(41 cm below
normal)- horizontal burning.
Only Drop: 50 cm-30 degree orientation spread; Sound source at 30degree
(41
cm below normal)- horizontal burning; 25 cm- 45degree orientation spread.
Sound-Flame phenomenon
Sound-Flame interaction works in the balance of primary (hot) and
secondary (cold) fluid concentration. Imbalance varies heat transfer.
Results validation
The results predicted by experimental apparatus were validated and
matched reasonably well.
Application of Work
Presence of sound source can minimize losses due to fire and can be effectively
used expected in all combustion applications requiring faster spreading.

Potential Applications