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a b s t r a c tDirect Numerical Simulations (DNS) of ethylene/air diffusion flame extinctions in decaying twodimensional turbulence were performed. A Damköhler-number-based flame extinction criterion as provided by classical large activation energy asymptotic (AEA) theory is assessed for its validity in predicting flame extinction and compared to one based on Chemical Explosive Mode Analysis (CEMA) of the detailed chemistry. The DNS code solves compressible flow conservation equations using high order finite difference and explicit time integration schemes. The ethylene/air chemistry is simulated with a reduced mechanism that is generated based on the directed relation graph (DRG) based methods along with stiffness removal. The numerical configuration is an ethylene fuel strip embedded in ambient air and exposed to a prescribed decaying turbulent flow field. The emphasis of this study is on the several flame extinction events observed in contrived parametric simulations. A modified viscosity and changing pressure (MVCP) scheme was adopted in order to artificially manipulate the probability of flame extinction. Using MVCP, pressure was changed from the baseline case of 1 atm to 0.1 and 10 atm. In the high pressure MVCP case, the simulated flame is extinction-free, whereas in the low pressure MVCP case, the simulated flame features frequent extinction events and is close to global extinction. Results show that, despite its relative simplicity and provided that the global flame activation temperature is correctly calibrated, the AEA-based flame extinction criterion can accurately predict the simulated flame extinction events. It is also found that the AEA-based criterion provides predictions of flame extinction that are consistent with those provided by a CEMA-based criterion. This study supports the validity of a simple Damköhler-number-based criterion to predict flame extinction in engineering-level CFD models.

The method of moments with interpolative closure (MOMIC) for soot formation and growth provides a detailed modeling framework maintaining a good balance in generality, accuracy, robustness, and computational efficiency. This study presents several computational issues in the development and implementation of the MOMIC-based soot modeling for direct numerical simulations (DNS). The issues of concern include a wide dynamic range of numbers, choice of normalization, high effective Schmidt number of soot particles, and realizability of the soot particle size distribution function (PSDF). These problems are not unique to DNS, but they are often exacerbated by the high-order numerical schemes used in DNS. Four specific issues are discussed in this article: the treatment of soot diffusion, choice of interpolation scheme for MOMIC, an approach to deal with strongly oxidizing environments, and realizability of the PSDF. General, robust, and stable approaches are sought to address these issues, minimizing the use of ad hoc treatments such as clipping. The solutions proposed and demonstrated here are being applied to generate new physical insight into complex turbulence-chemistry-soot-radiation interactions in turbulent reacting flows using DNS.

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The objective of the present study is to use large activation energy asymptotic (AEA) theory to bring basic information on the extinction limits of non-premixed flames. The AEA analysis leads to an explicit expression that predicts the occurrence of flame extinction in the form of a critical Damköhler number criterion; the criterion provides a unified framework to explain the different extinction limits that are observed in non-premixed combustion (i.e., aerodynamic quenching, thermal quenching, and dilution quenching). The critical Damköhler number criterion is then formulated in terms of six input variables; these variables characterize the magnitude of flame stretch, the magnitude of the flame heat losses, and the composition and heat content of the fuel and oxidizer supply streams; these input variables thereby contain information on (laminar or turbulent) flow-induced perturbations, deviations from adiabatic combustion, and air and fuel vitiation. Different two-dimensional flammability maps are then presented using different assumptions aimed at reducing the dimension of the parameter space from six to two. While providing a limited view point, these flammability maps provide valuable insights; it is found for instance that diffusion flames are more sensitive to air vitiation than fuel vitiation.

The objective of the present study is to use large activation energy asymptotic (AEA) theory to bring basic information on the extinction limits of non-premixed flames. The AEA analysis leads to an explicit expression that predicts the occurrence of flame extinction in the form of a critical Damköhler number criterion; the criterion provides a unified framework to explain the different extinction limits that are observed in non-premixed combustion (i.e., aerodynamic quenching, thermal quenching, and dilution quenching). The critical Damköhler number criterion is then formulated in terms of six input variables; these variables characterize the magnitude of flame stretch, the magnitude of the flame heat losses, and the composition and heat content of the fuel and oxidizer supply streams; these input variables thereby contain information on (laminar or turbulent) flow-induced perturbations, deviations from adiabatic combustion, and air and fuel vitiation. Different two-dimensional flammability maps are then presented using different assumptions aimed at reducing the dimension of the parameter space from six to two. While providing a limited view point, these flammability maps provide valuable insights; it is found for instance that diffusion flames are more sensitive to air vitiation than fuel vitiation.

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