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Analysis of thermodiffusive cellular instabilities in continuum combustion fronts
Hossein Azizi1, Sebastian Gurevich1, Nikolas Provatas1
1Department of Physics, Centre for the Physics of Materials, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
We numerically investigated thermodiffusive instabilities in combustion fronts, revealing cellular and dendritic patterns at low Lewis numbers. Our findings classify dynamics from steady-state cells to complex morphologies, advancing combustion instability research.
Area of Science:
- Combustion science
- Fluid dynamics
- Chemical kinetics
Background:
- Thermodiffusive instabilities significantly impact combustion front propagation.
- Understanding pattern formation is crucial for controlling combustion phenomena.
- Previous models often simplify kinetics and reactant properties.
Purpose of the Study:
- To numerically explore morphological patterns of thermodiffusive instabilities in combustion fronts.
- To generalize existing models by incorporating distinct process kinetics and reactant heterogeneity.
- To analyze cellular and dendritic instabilities across various Lewis numbers and ignition temperatures.
Main Methods:
- Numerical simulations using a generalized continuum fuel source model.
- Dynamic adaptive mesh refinement for large computational domains.
- Analytical derivation and validation against established models and linear stability analysis.
Main Results:
- Cellular and dendritic instabilities observed at low Lewis numbers.
- Dynamics near the critical Lewis number range from steady-state cells to tip splitting and cell merging.
- Nonlinear effects at lower Lewis numbers lead to complex cellular and dendritic morphologies.
Conclusions:
- The generalized model accurately describes thermodiffusive instabilities and pattern formation.
- Numerical simulations confirm analytical predictions for linear stability.
- Distinct dynamics, from quasilinear to highly nonlinear, are characterized, enhancing the understanding of combustion front instabilities.
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