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A flame can be considered as genesis of combustion. Most combustion process except
smoldering combustion is accompanied by the formation of flame. Examples of smoldering
process are cigarette, incense sticks.
Flame is a spatial domain in which rapid chemical change takes place often emitting light.
Or
It is a rapid self –sustaining chemical reaction, which takes place in a discrete reaction zone.
Types of flame
Basically there are two types of flames, they are
Diffusion flame:
The kind of the flame in which fuel and the air comes together in a reaction zone through
molecular and turbulent diffusion is called diffusion flame. So, in diffusion flame the fuel and air
mix at the flame surface. So diffusion flames aren’t kinematically controlled.
Candle flame is another example of diffusion flame. In the case of the candle wax is melted and
it flows upward to the wick by the capillary action and gets vaporized into gaseous fuel, air flows
upward due to the natural convection. It should be noted that air diffuses inward and the fuel
diffuses outward as a result they react to each other at the flame zone. Such kinds of the flame
have intense luminosity yellow flame, due to generation of soot. Its other examples are: Forest
fires, burning of candle, wick flames, CI engine ignition etc.
Premixed flame:
The kind of combustion in which fuel and air (oxygen) are mixed together homogenously prior
to ignition is called premixed flame. So, fuel and the oxidizer are mixed well before the
combustion. Its examples are: Bunsen burner, SI engine, oxy‐acetylene flame etc.
Both kinds of the flames can be turbulent and laminar .Flame turbulence can be created by:
a. Increased tube diameter
b. Increased flow velocity
c. The presence of an obstacle in the flowing gas
The Reynolds number is used for the determination of the flow type
Re < 2300 for the laminar flow
Re > 3200 for the turbulent flow
Re = 2300‐3200 for the transition or the mixed flow
Deflagration Detonation
Properties of premixed flame:
There are four basic zones in a premixed flame, they are:
i. Cold reactants zone: In this zone the reactants are not much chemically active.
ii. Pre heat zone: Here diffusion of the fuel into flame takes place.
iii. Reaction zone: Here the fuel is consumed by chemical reaction .Thus; the fuel speed
depends upon the reaction rate and the diffusion rate.