Statistical behaviors of conditioned two-point second-order structure functions in turbulent premixed flames in different combustion regimes

The second-order structure functions and their components conditioned upon various events have been analyzed for unweighted and density-weighted velocities using a Direct Numerical Simulation database. The heat release due to combustion has been shown to have significant influences on the structure functions and their components conditioned on different mixture states. The use of density-weighted velocities changes the relative magnitudes of differently conditioned structure functions but does not reduce the scatter of these magnitudes. The structure functions conditioned to constant-density unburned reactants at both points and normalized using the root-mean-square velocity conditioned to the reactants are larger at higher values of mean reaction progress variables (deeper within the flame brush), with this trend being not weakened with increasing turbulence intensity u′/SL. These results indicate that, contrary to a common belief, combustion-induced thermal expansion can significantly affect the incoming constant-density turbulent flow of unburned reactants even at u′/SL and Karlovitz number Ka as large as 10 and 18, respectively. The statistical behaviors of the structure functions reveal that the magnitude of the flame normal gradient of the velocity component tangential to the local flame can be significant, and it increases with increasing turbulence intensity. Moreover, the structure functions conditioned on both points in the heat release zone bear the signature of the anisotropic effects induced by the baroclinic torque for the flames belonging to the wrinkled flamelet and corrugated flamelet regimes. These anisotropic effects weaken with increasing turbulence intensity in the thin reaction zone regime.