Numerical simulations of premixed flame cellular instability for a simple chain-branching model

Two-dimensional direct numerical simulations are performed to investigate the non-linear dynamics of low Lewis number premixed flames, in the context of a two-step chain-branching chemistry model. This consists of a thermally-neutral, but temperature sensitive, chain-branching step which produces intermediates such as radicals and an exothermic, zero activation energy chain-completion step which converts the intermediates into products. Emphasis is on examining the role of intermediates in the flame structure on the cellular instability and in comparing and contrasting with previous one-step chemistry model solutions. When intermediates are present only in small concentrations in the underlying one-dimensional flame structure, the two-step cellular dynamics are qualitatively similar to those of the one-step model, including cell-splitting and re-merging, symmetry breaking bifurcations and formation of asymmetric cells, localized quenching of the flame front and a significant enhancement of the flame speed. However, a higher peak value of the intermediates concentration, corresponding to a more distributed heat release, is shown to have a significant stabilizing effect, e.g., in a domain of fixed transverse size, the fully developed cellular structure and flame speed remain closer to those of the one-dimensional flame. (C) 2011 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.