ARCHER2 Calendar September 2026

Acoustic forcing of a lean premixed hydrogen-air flame

Mr Frederick Young, Mechanical Engineering, Newcastle University

The video shows a high-fidelity simulation of a premixed hydrogen-air flame becoming unstable due to the interaction of imposed acoustic waves with the flame front, run on ARCHER2. The top image shows the time evolution of the acoustic pressure field, with a monopole-type source prescribed at the center of the inflow plane. The superimposed black line shows the region of maximum heat release, which indicates the location of the thin flame front. The bottom image shows the time evolution of the (non-dimensional) temperature field, with values greater than 1 indicative of the strong reactivity of lean hydrogen-air flames. The imposed acoustic forcing leads to the emergence of distinct cellular patterning on the flame surface. The displayed research has implications in the design of control systems to mitigate combustion instabilities in future net-zero combustors.

This image was published on the September page of the ARCHER2 2026 printed calendar.