Flow and Thermal Structure of Burner-Wake Stabilized Elliptic Jet Flames in a Cross-Flow

This study was conducted to delineate the coupling effects of the elliptic geometry of the burner and a crossflow on the combustion of gas jets. This paper presents the flow and thermal structure of burner-wake stabilized turbulent propane jet flames from circular (diameter = 0.45 cm) and elliptic (major axis/minor axis = 3) burners of equivalent exit area in a crossflow of air. The elliptic burner was oriented with its major axis or minor axis aligned with the crossflow. Experiments were conducted in a wind tunnel provided with optical and probe access. Flame structure data including temperature profiles and concentration profiles of CO₂, O₂, CO, and NO were obtained in the single flame configuration (at jet to crossflow momentum flux ratio = 0.0067), where a planar recirculation zone exists completely stabilized in the wake of the burner tube. This study is complementary to our previous study with a two-zone structure flame at jet/crossflow momentum flux ratio of 0.11. Results show that in this flame configuration, the peak NO concentration in the circular burner is higher than that in the elliptic burner flames. Carbon monoxide concentration was approximately same in the flame with circular burner and the elliptic burner with its major axis aligned with cross-flow; the CO concentration in the elliptic flame with the minor axis of the burner aligned with cross-flow was slightly smaller.