IMAGING DIAGNOSTICS OF COMBUSTION INSTABILITY IN PREMIXED SWIRLING COMBUSTION

An experimental study on combustion instability is presented with focus on propane-air premixed swirling flames. Swirling flames under self-excited oscillation are studied by imaging of visible light and OH* chemiluminescence filter under several typical conditions. The dynamical characteristics of swirling flames were analysed by Dynamic Mode Decomposition (DMD) method. Three types of unstable modes in the combustor system were observed, which correspond to typical acoustic resonant modes (LF mode, C1/4 mode and P1/2 mode) of the combustor system. The combustion instability is in the longitudinal mode. Furthermore, the structure of downstream hot burnt gas under stable combustion and unstable combustion is studied by imaging of visible light and near-infrared light. Results show that there is a significant difference in the downstream flow under stable combustion and unstable combustion. The DMD spectrum of the flame and the downstream hot burnt gas obtained is the same, which is close to the characteristic frequency of acoustic pressure captured by the microphone signal. The visible light and near-infrared light imaging observation method adopted in this paper provides a new imaging method for the investigation of thermo-acoustic instability.