On the instability of a modified cup-burner flame in the infrared spectral region

SummaryThis study describes the modification of a standardised cup-burner apparatus. The replacement of the original glass chimney is performed by shielding a nitrogen co-flow enabled measurement at a wavelength of 3.9 μm. This modification, together with a special arrangement of the measuring system (spectral filtering, data acquisition and post-processing), permitted the observation of various types of hydrodynamic instabilities, including transition states. The advantages of our arrangement are demonstrated with an ethylene non-premixed flame with high sooting tendency. Two known modes of hydrodynamic instability (varicose and sinuous) that occur in buoyant flames were studied and described quantitatively. Based on the intensity of the infrared emissions, we identified and qualitatively described the modes of periodic hydrodynamic instability that are accompanied by flame tip opening, which has not been observed for this type of flame.