Common features in the thermoacoustics of flames and engines

• Published in: International journal of spray and combustion dynamics Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 3 - 37
• Main Authors: Lawn, Chris J, Penelet, Guillaume
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01.03.2018; Sage Publications Ltd
• Subjects: Control methods; Nonlinear phenomena; Nonlinear systems; Temperature gradients; Thermoacoustics; non-linear response; Rijke tubes; combustion instability; Thermoacoustics; unsteady heat transfer
• ISSN: 1756-8277; 1756-8285
• DOI: 10.1177/1756827717743911

Thermoacoustic phenomena generated inadvertently during combustion, and those produced by heating and cooling material to generate a temperature gradient, have mostly been studied independently. Indeed, researchers of one phenomenon are seldom familiar with the literature on the other. This paper seeks to remedy this by reviewing the two subjects alongside one another, by comparing and contrasting them where possible. There is a brief account of the historically important papers in the development of both subjects, followed by a description of the nature of the phenomena. A selective number of papers is called upon to illustrate these principles. Techniques for handling the pure acoustics in the two subjects are addressed, before an outline is given of the modelling of the two thermoacoustic systems. Non-linear phenomena in the two systems are then explored. Finally, methods of ‘control’, of changing the system characteristics, are briefly discussed.