Vortex-dynamical Interpretation of Anti-phase and In-phase Flickering of Dual Buoyant Diffusion Flames

TL;DR

This study investigates the vortex dynamics behind the flickering modes of dual buoyant diffusion flames, revealing how shear layer interactions determine in-phase or anti-phase flickering through a unified regime model.

Contribution

It introduces a vortex-dynamical framework and a regime nomogram to predict flickering mode transitions based on vortex interactions and Reynolds number effects.

Findings

Flickering modes are governed by shear layer interactions.

A regime nomogram predicts mode transitions.

Vortex structures resemble bluff body wake flows.

Abstract

Anti-phase and in-phase flickering modes of dual buoyant diffusion flames were numerically investigated and theoretically analyzed in this study. Inspired by the flickering mechanism of a single buoyant diffusion flame, for which the deformation, stretching, or even pinch-off of the flame surface result from the formation and evolution of the toroidal vortices, we attempted to understand the anti-phase and in-phase flickering of dual buoyant diffusion flames from the perspective of vortex dynamics. The interaction between the inner-side shear layers of the two flames was identified to be responsible for the different flickering modes. Specifically, the transition between anti-phase and in-phase flickering modes can be predicted by a unified regime nomogram of the normalized flickering frequency versus a characteristic Reynolds number, which accounts for the viscous effect on vorticity diffusion between the two inner-side shear layers. Physically, the transition of the vortical structures from symmetric (in-phase) to staggered (anti-phase) in a dual-flame system can be interpreted as being similar to the mechanism causing flow transition in the wake of a bluff body and forming the Karman vortex street.