Investigation of combustion dynamics in a cavity-based combustor with high-speed laser diagnostics

The dynamics of the flame/flow interaction produced in an optically accessible, premixed, and staged cavity-based combustor was investigated with high-speed particle image velocimetry (PIV) and OH-planar laser-induced fluorescence (OH-PLIF) . The combined PIV and OH-PLIF images were recorded at 2.5 kHz to assess stabilization mechanisms occurring between the cavity and the mainstream. Dynamic pressure and global heat-release rate fluctuations were complementary measured. Important characteristics were identified for two operating conditions, differing from the ratio of momentum J (taken between the mainstream and the cavity jet): a high ratio of momentum ( J = 7.1 ) produced a “stable” flow, whereas a lower one ( J = 2.8 ) displayed “unstable” conditions. Analysis of the “unstable” case revealed an intense flow instability, primarily due to premixed flow rate fluctuations inside the cavity. This effect is confirmed from a proper orthogonal decomposition analysis of PIV data, which illustrates the prominent role of large-scale flow oscillations in the whole combustor. Furthermore, the simultaneous analysis of flow velocities and gas state (either unburned or burned) displayed important fluctuations inside the shear layer, reducing effective flame-holding capabilities. By contrast, the increase in the ratio of momentum in the “stable” case reduces significantly the penetration of the cavity flow into the mainstream and consequently produces stable properties of the shear layer, being valuable to considerably improve flame stabilization.