Implementation of the Onsager Theorem to Evaluate the Speed of the Deflagration Wave

Abstract

While considering the deflagration regime, the thermal theory of combustion proposes that the mechanism of heat transfer from the flame exothermic zone to the front neighborhood reactants layer dominates the flame behavior. The introduction of the Fourier law allows a closed solution of the continuity and energy conservation equations to yield the burning velocity. It is, however, clear that this classical solution does not conform to the momentum equation. In the present work, instead of introducing the Fourier law, we suggest the introduction of a simplified version of the Onsager relationship, which accounts for the entropy increase due to the heat transfer process from the front layer to its successive layer. Solving for the burning velocity yields a closed solution that also definitely conforms to the momentum equation. While it is realized that the pressure difference across the flame front in the deflagration regime is very small, we believe that violating the momentum equation is intolerable. Quite a good fitting, similarly to the classic theory predictions, has been obtained between our predictions and some experimentally observed values for the propagation flame deflagration velocity, while here, the momentum equation is strictly conserved.