A laminar flamelet model is applied to turbulent, recirculating premixed combustion in a jet-stirred conical reactor. The complete statistical description of the thermochemistry is obtained from a one point probability density function (pdf) and detailed chemical kinetic laminar flame structure. The pdf is approximated by a beta function for a dimensionless reaction progress variable based on temperature rise. The laminar flame structures for lean CH4-air and C3Hs-air mixtures have been obtained from the researches of Dixon-Lewis and Westbrook, respectively. Mean heat release rate and the covariance of heat release rate and temperature are derived from the computed pdf and heat release rate for the laminar flame.
Measured temperatures and species concentrations are compared with model predictions. Particular emphasis is placed on the concentrations of intermediate species, such as CO, C2I-L, and C2H6, as a test of the model. Agreement between the model and experiment is good except in regions of high turbulent straining. The research suggests that the model shows promise for further developments. In the engineering context future work should focus on both the oxidation kinetics of higher hydrocarbons in laminar flames and the effects of flame straining.