Role of flame localization in wavemaker regions on the suppression of combustion instability in turbulent partially-premixed methane flames

Abstract

The interaction between flame dynamics & hydrodynamic instabilities plays a fundamental role in determining the stability of swirl-stabilized combustors. In the present study, we investigate the hypothesis that spatial overlap between flame & wavemaker region is a necessary prerequisite for combustion stability in flows characterized by a wavemaker region. To test the hypothesis, a low-momentum secondary methane injection was introduced through circumferential holes located on the centerbody of a swirl-stabilized burner. The injection velocity was maintained below 5\% of bulk flow velocity to minimize momentum-induced modifications of flow field while selectively redistributing heat release. In addition, an equivalent amount of fuel was diverted from primary fuel supply to secondary injection ports, known as fuel-staging, to isolate the effects of flame relocation from those of the total fuel flow rate. The introduction of secondary injection produced a transition of the flame from M-shaped to V-shaped structure, while fuel-staging yielded a similar flame response, demonstrating that observed behavior results primarily from redistribution of heat release. Linear stability analysis revealed that wavemaker region remains near inlet of the combustion chamber. Moreover, flame root transitions from a lifted M-flame to attached V-flame and consistently stabilizes at radial position corresponding to the identified wavemaker region. The coincidence of flame attachment & wavemaker location under stable operating conditions provides strong experimental evidence that flame stabilization is governed by their spatial overlap rather than by a modification of the underlying hydrodynamic instability. The proposed framework provides new insight into the coupling between flame stabilization & hydrodynamic instability & offers practical guidance for the design of stable, low-emission combustion systems.