Hydrodynamic instability of inward-propagating flames

The influence of hydrodynamic instability on the propagation velocity and distortion of an inward-propagating cylindrical flame is investigated theoretically and numerically. Theoretical investigations are conducted within the framework of a nonlinear model based on an evolution equation for the perturbed flame front, which may be derived from the general model, similar to the Sivashinsky equation. The phenomenon of surface distortion of an inward-propagating flame, leading to a decrease in the burning time, is studied both by analyzing the exact solutions of the nonlinear evolution equation and by numerical simulations of the general hydrodynamic model. Physical processes determining the inward-propagating flame dynamics are revealed.