Numerical assessment of accurate measurements of laminar flame speed

In combustion, the laminar flame speed constitutes an important parameter that reflects the chemistry of oxidation for a given fuel, along with its transport and thermal properties. Laminar flame speeds are used (i) in turbulent models used in CFD codes, and (ii) to validate detailed or reduced mechanisms, often derived from studies using ideal reactors and in diluted conditions as in jet stirred reactors and in shock tubes. End-users of such mechanisms need to have an assessment of their capability to predict the correct heat released by combustion in realistic conditions. In this view, the laminar flame speed constitutes a very convenient parameter, and it is then very important to have a good knowledge of the experimental errors involved with its determination. Stationary configurations (Bunsen burners, counter-flow flames, heat flux burners) or moving flames (tubes, spherical vessel, soap bubble) can be used. The spherical expanding flame configuration has recently become popular, since it can be used at high pressures and temperatures. With this method, the flame speed is not measured directly, but derived through the recording of the flame radius. The method used to process the radius history will have an impact on the estimated flame speed. Aim of this work is to propose a way to derive the laminar flame speed from experimental recording of expanding flames, and to assess the error magnitude.