Modeling Flame Transfer Functions of an Industrial Premixed Burner

Abstract This paper presents an analysis of the unsteady heat release rate response of industrially relevant axisymmetric premixed flames to harmonic velocity perturbations. The heat release rate response, quantified using the Flame Transfer Function (FTF) definition, is measured from an acoustically forced swirl burner under perfectly premixed conditions. To understand the features of the measured FTF, a physics based analytical model is developed in this study. To describe the heat release rate dynamics, a model for the flame spatiotemporal response is derived in the linear limit using the G-equation formulation. Inputs to the flame response model are selected to be consistent with values observed in the corresponding industrial burner, based on experimental and numerical studies. The relative contributions of acoustic and convecting vortical disturbances on specific features of the FTF are explored in this study. The results highlight the importance of capturing the appropriate disturbance velocity field as an input to the flame response model for accurate FTF predictions.