9R48. Mode´lisation et The´orie des Flammes. Modeling and Theory of Flames. (French). - R Borghi (l’Ecole Superieure de Mec de Marseille, Univ de la Mediterranee, France) and M Champion (Laboratoire de Combust et de Detonique, CNRS, France). Editions Technip, Paris. 2000. 402 pp. ISBN 2-7108-0758-0. $153.00.
Reviewed by JL Torero (Dept of Fire Protection Eng, Univ of Maryland, 0151 Glenn Martin Hall, College Park MD 20742-3031) and A Atreya (Dept of Mech Eng, Univ of Michigan, 2158 GG Brown Bldg, Ann Arbor MI 48109-2125).
This is a graduate-level textbook dealing with combustion theory. It is intended for graduate students interested in combustion science with the necessary background in graduate-level mathematics. The purpose of the textbook is accomplished in commendable fashion by a clear and compact exposition of laminar and turbulent combustion theory. The book layout is pleasant; the figures are well drawn; and the equations, numbered separately by chapter, are appropriately separated and easy to read. The book is also accompanied by a good subject index.
This textbook comes as a follow-up to La Combustion et les Flammes by R Borghi and M Destriau. It is not coincidental that the book under review has a close-up view of the same flame photograph on the cover as the previous book since this is, in essence, what this book is about. Borghi and Champion offer a more in-depth analysis of a narrower area of combustion namely, the modeling of the gas phase phenomena. Their book offers a theoretical framework that allows a better understanding of the processes occurring in reactive flow. While intended for graduate students, the sections on turbulence and turbulent flames can serve as a good reference for engineers practicing in the field of combustion.
The theoretical underpinnings of classical laminar flame theory are covered in detail in Chapters 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6. Chapter 3, however, briefly interrupts the flow with a presentation of turbulent phenomena. It would have been better placed before Chapter 7 to subdivide the book into laminar and turbulent flames. The treatment given to premixed flames is adequate and in many instances original and didactic. In contrast, Chapter 6 treats diffusion flames in a more modest way, the authors omit all references to phase change that would have been a useful precursor for Chapter 9. The presentation of the theory in Chapter 6 is also somewhat scattered. Although it is not difficult to follow, a clear definition of objectives is lacking. Chapters 7 and 8 revert the approach providing an excellent introduction to the problem of turbulent pre-mixed and non-premixed flames, respectively. The discussion of droplet and droplet array burning in Chapter 9 is practically very useful, but it does not logically follow from the first eight chapters. It might have been better to introduce burning of a single droplet along with Chapter 6 on diffusion flames.
The first six chapters show a remarkable absence of experimental data. While this fits well the title of the book and allows the authors to concentrate on the theory, simultaneous presentation of experimental measurements could substantially enhance the theoretical understanding. The final three chapters on turbulent flames incorporate a significant amount of experimental data along with the models. This allows the readers to appreciate the complexity of the problems and assess the extent of scientific uncertainty and the resulting controversy.
This book makes reference to a number of studies in French that are not commonly cited in other books in this field. This is significant for the graduate students since it brings to light important literature that may have otherwise been ignored. The last three chapters are rich in references, but the first six could have incorporated more.
Overall, the reviewers believe that the volume succeeds in its aim of providing a theoretical understanding of the gas phase combustion phenomena. It is considered very suitable for a graduate-level course on combustion theory. However, it would need to be supplemented by appropriate problem sets. It can also serve as a good reference for practising engineers. The authors are to be commended for their effort. Mode´lisation et The´orie des Flammes should be a valuable addition to libraries of institutions or individuals.
