An Analysis of the Forced Convective Burning of a Combustible Particle

Abstract

A theoretical study is presented of the combustion of a spherical fuel particle in a forced convective oxidizing gas flow. The analysis makes use of the boundary layer and flame-sheet approximations to describe the reacting flow. The governing boundary layer equations are solved by expanding the velocity, temperature and species distributions into a series of the azimuthal angle. Profiles of these variables at several angular positions along the particle surface and the local mass burning rates are presented. An explicit expression for the particle regression rate is developed in terms of the Reynolds and mass transfer numbers. The predicted dependence of the regression rate on these parameters agrees qualitatively with already existing experimental observations for droplets vaporizing and burning in convective environments.