Hydrodynamic aspects of premixed flame stripes in two-dimensional stagnation-point flows

The behavior of cellular premixed flames of rich butane-air in the two-dimensional stagnation-point flow configuration has been investigated. It is found that the stretching of the cellular flame results in the alignment of the ridge (extinction) and the trough (combustion) zones of the individual cells such as to form a series of parallel flame stripes. The number of flame stripes as a function of the equivalence ratio for three different mean velocities at the nozzle have been determined. Through the introduction of a generalized form of the stream function periodic velocity fields are obtained as the exact solutions of the Euler equation for the nonreactive finite-jet two-dimensional stagnation flow. The predicted periodic velocity profiles are confirmed by the experimental observation of the streamlines in nonreactive flow made visible by laser-sheet lighting. The observed average size of the flame stripes is found to be in good agreement with the predicted value. Similar periodic velocity profiles are also obtained for the viscous flow within the laminar boundary layer by treatment of the unsteady vorticity equation first described by Taylor. The results support an earlier prediction by Williams that cellular flame structures that are affected mainly by diffusive-thermal phenomena may in fact be initiated by the hydrodynamic instability.