Transient combustion of a heating droplet in a gravitational environment

Abstract

The transient combustion characteristics of a droplet suddenly exposed to the envelope flames in an atmospheric environment are studied numerically. Combustion can be divided into a droplet heating-up and a constant-droplet-temperature burning. The naturally-convective flow is not known a priori, but provided as part of the solution. During the heating-up stage, the temperature and evaporation rate of droplet increase sharply, and the square of diameter decreases slightly as time proceeds. In the following stage, the droplet temperature remains constant, the evaporation rate and droplet diameter decrease with time. The flowfield of natural convection is also presented to demonstrate its interaction with the flame and the transient process. Finally, the fuel accumulation phenomenon is identified and it results in an reduction of evaporation constant.