Entropy Generation during Head-On Interaction of Premixed Flames with Inert Walls within Turbulent Boundary Layers

Abstract

The statistical behaviours of different entropy generation mechanisms in the head-on interaction of turbulent premixed flames with a chemically inert wall within turbulent boundary layers have been analysed using Direct Numerical Simulation data. The entropy generation characteristics in the case of head-on premixed flame interaction with an isothermal wall is compared to that for an adiabatic wall. It has been found that entropy generation due to chemical reaction, thermal diffusion and molecular mixing remain comparable when the flame is away from the wall for both wall boundary conditions. However, the wall boundary condition affects the entropy generation during flame-wall interaction. In the case of isothermal wall, the entropy generation due to chemical reaction vanishes because of flame quenching and the entropy generation due to thermal diffusion becomes the leading entropy generator at the wall. By contrast, the entropy generation due to thermal diffusion and molecular mixing decrease at the adiabatic wall because of the vanishing wall-normal components of the gradients of temperature and species mass/mole fractions. These differences have significant effects on the overall entropy generation rate during flame-wall interaction, which suggest that combustor wall cooling needs to be optimized from the point of view of structural integrity and thermodynamic irreversibility.