Streamwise Evolution of Flame Stretch in Linearly-Arranged Multi-Swirl Lean Hydrogen Flames

Compared with single-swirl configurations, linearly arranged multi-swirl burners introduce complex inter-jet interactions that significantly alter flame dynamics; however, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. In this study, direct numerical simulation (DNS) is employed to investigate a lean-hydrogen multi-swirl flame, aiming to elucidate its flame structure and dynamic evolution. The flame development region is divided into upstream (Region 1) and downstream (Region 2) regions, based on the critical location where the flame stretch transitions from positive to negative. The flow field, flame morphology, thickness, stretch, curvature, and their joint statistical relationships are systematically compared between the two regions. The results show that in Region 1, the flame stretch is dominated by positive strain rate, and the flame maintains a continuous structure and a small thickness. In Region 2, the curvature stretch becomes dominant, leading to severe flame wrinkling, local extinction and breakup, with the mean flame thickness increasing to about 1.5 times that of the laminar flame. Joint PDF analyses reveal that negative flame stretch is correlated with a large negative curvature in Region 2, whereas in Region 1, it is not affected by the curvature sign. The downstream flame also exhibits higher displacement speeds, indicating intensified turbulence–flame interaction. This study reveals the streamwise transition mechanism of the multi-swirl flame from strain-dominated to curvature-dominated dynamics, clarifies the distinct coupling modes of upstream stabilization and downstream fragmentation, and provides new theoretical guidance for stable combustion and wide-operability design of lean-hydrogen swirl combustors.