In many practical situations involving a propagating flame, inhomogeneities are present in the mixture through which the flame propagates. These inhomogeneities can be caused by fluctuations or stratifications in the temperature, the composition or the flow field. This talk will be concerned with situations where the concentrations of fuel and oxidiser are stratified. In these circumstances, ignition leads to the propagation of a so-called triple flame, which was first observed in the laboratory by Phillips in 1965 [1]. Using both analytical and numerical methods, I will describe how gravity affects the propagation of a triple flame and the stability of its trailing diffusion flame, causing instabilities like those that can be clearly seen in one of the first images taken by Phillips.

About the speaker:
Dr. Philip Pearce received his master's in mathematics and his Ph.D in applied mathematics at the University of Manchester. Since January 2015, Pearce has been an Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) Doctoral Prize Fellow at the University of Manchester.