Swirl Flow Effects on Heat Release/Luminous Radiation in a Vortex Engine

Radiation heat transfer as an important phenomenon in combustion applications is an interesting subject for scientists and combustion researchers. Heat release and luminous radiative transfer phenomena in an experimental vortex engine are compared with a similar axial flow type engine. A detector sensitive to emission from C₂* excited radically is utilized for the measurement of chemiluminescence emission at the centerline of chamber along all axial positions. The filtered photographs of flame are used to compare total C₂* emission from flame. Mixtures of Propane and Butane with air enriched by oxygen are used as fuel and oxidizer. The effects of equivalence ratio and oxidizer mass flow rate are investigated as well.