Flame stabilization in narrow channels by a highly conductive wall segment: application to small-scale combustion devices

Abstract

The structure and dynamics of premixed flames in narrow channels in the presence of a highly conductive wall segment are investigated in this work. It is shown that these systems present a multiple steady-state regimes. A linear stability analysis applied to these steady solutions reveals that several steady-state solutions may be simultaneously stable. The stability analysis results are confirmed by time-dependent simulations, that show that the actual realization of one or another stable regime depends on the initial conditions. Finally, we show that nonlinear periodic and chaotic dynamics may appear under certain conditions in these systems.