Strained premixed laminar flames with nonunity Lewis numbers

Abstract

The method of activation energy asymptotics is used to study the effects of Lewis numbers different from unity on nonadiabatic flamelets in counterflowing streams of reactants and products. A sequence of analyses parallels those reported earlier for such flamelets having Lewis number unity. Thus initial results relate to nearly adiabatic flows with Lewis numbers close to unity. It is found that the effect of nonunity Lewis numbers is accentuated in flamelets subjected to low rates of strain and that Lewis numbers greater than unity tend to promote extinction. Thus abrupt extinction and ignition events can occur even under adiabatic conditions. Next fully nonadiabatic flamelets with Lewis numbers near unity are treated in order to consider cases involving relatively large degrees of product heating and cooling. These results relate to reaction zones as they arise under conditions of low-to-moderate rates of strain with the customary diffusive-reactive balance. We also treat flamelets subjected to such high rates of strain that the reaction zone is extended and located far into the product stream. In this case a diffusive-convective-reactive balance prevails. Realistic density variations are considered in the numerical examples and are shown to tend to retard extinction.