Eur. Phys. J. AP 19, 131-140 (2002)
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjap:2002059

Vortex structure in a liquid film in the pulsating flame spread regime

¹ LET/ENSMA, Téléport 2, 1 avenue Clément Ader, BP 40109, 86961 Futuroscope Cedex, France
² CEA-CESTA, BP 2, 33114 Le Barp, France

Corresponding author: doan@let.ensma.fr

Received: 5 April 2001
Revised: 19 February 2002
Accepted: 26 March 2002
Published online: 24 July 2002

Abstract

Experiments were carried out to examine convection in a liquid fuel film subjected to flame spreading over the film. The flow in the liquid phase indicates the presence of vortices which are intimately associated to a pulsating regime of flame spread. Results bore out the close link between this regime and vortex structure generation in the liquid film. Thorough description of the core vortex structure shows how liquid motion controls the flame spread rate at a given temperature initially assigned to the liquid. Experiments were subsequently conducted over a wide range of initial liquid temperatures that directly controlled the characteristic size of liquid vortex structure. Such configurations contributed to both heat transfer evolution and a modification of the pulsating regime featuring an increase in the rate of spread.