Flame propagation through aluminum particle cloud in a combustion tube

The propagation of a flame is investigated experimentally and theoretically for a large, horizontal combustion tube containing a mixture of air and aluminum powder with pre-existing turbulence. One end of the tube is closed and the other is connected to a large dump-tank. Twenty dispersion systems are used on the tube to produce a uniform suspension of aluminum dust in the tube with a mean diameter of 6 Pm. The characteristics of a flame front from the ignitors at the closed end are measured using photodiodes and the development of pressure is monitored by transducers. Experimental results revealed the entire process of an accelerating flame and the development of shock waves. A set of conservation equations for two-phase turbulent combustion flow is derived, using the two-fluid model, k-epsilon model, Hinze-Tchen model and EBU-Arrhenius model for turbulent combustion. The SIMPLE scheme usually applied to the homogeneous turbulent combustion is extended to fit this two-phase, reactive behavior. The results of calculations show the positive feedback coupling among combustion, expansion and turbulence during flame propagation. Computed and measured results are generally in good agreement. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.