Response of Non-premixed Jet Flames to Blast Waves

The work investigates the response dynamics of non-premixed jet flames to blast waves that are incident along the jet axis. In the present study, blast waves, generated using the wire-explosion technique, are forced to sweep across a non-premixed jet flame that is stabilised over a nozzle rim positioned at a distance of 264 mm from the source of blast generation. The work spans a wide range of fuel jet Reynolds numbers (Re) and incident blast wave Mach numbers (M_s,r). The interaction imposes a characteristic flow field over the jet flame, marked by a sharp discontinuity followed by a decaying profile and a delayed second spike. The second spike in the flow field profile corresponds to the induced flow that follows the blast front. While the response of the flame to the blast front was minimal, it was found to detach from the nozzle rim and lift off following the interaction with the induced flow. Subsequently, the lifted flame was found to re-attach back at the nozzle or extinguish, contingent on the operating Reynolds number and incident blast wave Mach numbers. Alongside flame lift-off, flame tip flickering was aggravated under the influence of the induced flow. A simplified theoretical model was developed to estimate the change in flickering timescales and length scales and was favourably compared against experimental observations.