scholarly journals Numerical Simulations of Combustion Instabilities in a Combustor with an Augmentor-Like Geometry

Aerospace ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (7) ◽  
pp. 82
Author(s):  
Esteban Gonzalez-Juez

With the goal of assessing the capability of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to simulate combustion instabilities, the present work considers a premixed, bluff-body-stabilized combustor with well-defined inlet and outlet boundary conditions. The present simulations produce flow behaviors in good qualitative agreement with experimental observations. Notably, the flame flapping and standing acoustic waves seen in the experiments are reproduced by the simulations. Moreover, present predictions for the dominant instability frequency have an error of 7% and those of the rmspressure fluctuations show an error of 16%. In addition, an analysis of simulation results for the limit cycle complements previous experimental analyses by supporting the presence of an active frequency-locking mechanism.

Author(s):  
Umesh Bhayaraju ◽  
Johannes Schmidt ◽  
Karthik Kashinath ◽  
Simone Hochgreb

Gas turbine combustors with lean combustion injectors are prone to thermo-acoustic/combustion instabilities. Several passive techniques have been developed to control combustion instabilities, such as using Helmholtz resonators or viscous dampers using perforated liners that have potential for broadband acoustic damping. In this paper the role of single-walled cooling liners is considered in the damping of acoustic waves and on the flame transfer function in a sample bluff-body burner. Three liner geometries are considered: no bias flow (solid liner), normal effusion holes, and grazing effusion holes at 25° inclination. Cold flow experiments with speaker forcing are carried out to characterise the absorption properties of the liner and compared with an acoustic network model. The results show that whereas the bulk of the acoustic losses is due to the vortex recirculation zones, the liners contribute significantly to the absorption over a wide area of the frequency range. The flame transfer function gain is measured as a function of bias flow for a given operating condition of the burner. The experiments show that for the geometry considered, the global flame transfer function is little affected by cooling except in the case of the normal flow holes. Further analysis shows that whereas the total flame transfer function is not affected, the flame heat release becomes more spatially distributed along the axial length, and a 1D flame response shows distinct modes corresponding to the modal heat release locations.


Author(s):  
Tong Li ◽  
Yibin Wang ◽  
Ning Zhao

The simple frigate shape (SFS) as defined by The Technical Co-operative Program (TTCP), is a simplified model of the frigate, which helps to investigate the basic flow fields of a frigate. In this paper, the flow fields of the different modified SFS models, consisting of a bluff body superstructure and the deck, were numerically studied. A parametric study was conducted by varying both the superstructure length L and width B to investigate the recirculation zone behind the hangar. The size and the position of the recirculation zones were compared between different models. The numerical simulation results show that the size and the location of the recirculation zone are significantly affected by the superstructure length and width. The results obtained by Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes method were also compared well with both the time averaged Improved Delayed Detached-Eddy Simulation results and the experimental data. In addition, by varying the model size and inflow velocity, various flow fields were numerically studied, which indicated that the changing of Reynolds number has tiny effect on the variation of the dimensionless size of the recirculation zone. The results in this study have certain reference value for the design of the frigate superstructure.


Author(s):  
X. Y. Zhang ◽  
H. Zhang ◽  
M. Zhu

In this study, a combustion facility was constructed that includes a flexible fuel supply system to produce synthesis gas using a maximum of three components. The rig with lean premixed burner is able to operate at up to 5 bars. The length of the inlet plenum and the outlet boundary conditions of the combustion chamber are adjustable. Experiments were carried out under a broad range of conditions, with variations in fuel components including hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide, equivalence ratios, thermal power and boundary conditions. The dynamic processes of self-excited combustion instabilities with variable fuel components were measured. The mechanisms of coupling between the system acoustic waves and unsteady heat release were investigated. The results show that instability modes and flame characteristics were significantly different with variations in fuel components. In addition, the results are expected to provide useful information for the design and operation of stable syngas combustion systems.


Author(s):  
Annette Volk ◽  
Urmila Ghia

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)-Discrete Element Method (DEM) simulations are designed to model a pseudo-two-dimensional fluidized bed. Bed behavior and accuracy of results are shown to change as the simulations are conducted on increasingly refined computational grids. Trends of the results with grid refinement are reported for both three-dimensional, uniform refinement, and for grid refinement in only the direction of bed thickness. Pseudo-2D simulation results are examined against previously published experimental data to assess relative accuracy compared to fully 3D simulation results. Two drag laws are employed in the simulations, resulting in different trends of results with computational grid refinement. From these results, we present suggestions for accurate model design.


Author(s):  
Ashraf Ibrahim ◽  
Mark Wendel ◽  
David Felde ◽  
Bernard Riemer

In this work, we present computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations of helium bubble formation and detachment at a submerged needle in stagnant and co-flowing mercury. Since mercury is opaque, visualization of internal gas bubbles was done with proton radiography (pRad) at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE2). The acoustic waves emitted at the time of detachment and during subsequent oscillations of the bubble were recorded with a microphone. The Volume of Fluid (VOF) model was used to simulate the unsteady two-phase flow of gas injection in mercury. The VOF model is validated by comparing detailed bubble sizes and shapes at various stages of the bubble growth and detachment, with the experimental measurements at 1.66 mg/min helium gas flow rate and different mercury velocities. The experimental and computational results show a two-stage bubble formation in stagnant mercury. The first stage involves growing bubble around the needle, and the second follows as the buoyancy overcomes wall adhesion. The comparison of predicted and measured bubble sizes and shapes at various stages of the bubble growth and detachment is in good agreement.


Author(s):  
Saurabh Patwardhan ◽  
Pravin Nakod ◽  
Stefano Orsino ◽  
Carlo Arguinzoni

Abstract In this paper, high-fidelity large eddy simulations (LES) along with flamelet based combustion models are assessed to predict combustion dynamics in low-emissions gas turbine combustor. A model configuration of a single element lean-direct-injection (LDI) combustor from Purdue University [1] is used for the validation of simulation results. Two combustion models based on the flamelet concept, i.e., steady diffusion flamelet (SDF) model and flamelet generated manifold (FGM) model are employed to predict combustion instabilities. Simulations are carried out for two equivalence ratios of φ = 0.6, and 0.4 and the results in the form of mode shapes, peak to peak pressure amplitude and power spectrum density (PSD) are compared with the experimental data of Huang et al. [1]. The effect of variation in the time step size for transient simulations is also studied. The time step sizes corresponding to Acoustic Courant numbers of 4, 8 and 16 are tested. Further, two numerical solver options, i.e., pressure based segregated solver and pressure based coupled solver are used in understanding their effect on the solution convergence regarding the number of time steps required to reach the limit cycle of the pressure oscillations. An additional test for reducing the overall simulation time is explored using a truncated (half) calculation domain and applying an appropriate acoustic impedance boundary condition at the truncated location. The simulation results from this test for the equivalence ratio of φ = 0.6 are compared with the simulation results from the corresponding full domain test. Overall, the simulation results compare well with the experimental data and trends are captured accurately. A clear dominant acoustic mode of 4L is observed for the equivalence ratio of 0.6 that compares well with the experimental data. For the equivalence ratio of 0.4, simulation results show that there is no dominant frequency and the energy is distributed among the first five modes. It is consistent with the observations in the experiments. Both combustion models (SDF and FGM) used in this study capture the combustion instabilities accurately. It builds confidence in flamelet based combustion models for the use in combustion instability modeling which is traditionally done using finite rate chemistry models based on reduced kinetics.


Energies ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (16) ◽  
pp. 3120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ji-Suk Yu ◽  
Jin-Hee Kim ◽  
Jun-Tae Kim

Research on existing air-type PVT (photovoltaic/thermal) collectors has mainly focused on improving the efficiency of the collector itself and on using the energy produced by the collector in heating and cooling facilities and building energy. The first consideration in an air-type PVT system applied to a building facade is the collector arrangement and the flow path considering the collector performance. It is necessary to design the flow inside the air-type BIPVT (building integrated photovoltaic/thermal) collector so that it runs smoothly so as not to cause a dead space and a pressure drop inside the collector, which deteriorate the thermal performance. This study analyzed the thermal characteristics of an air-type BIPVT collector applied to a demonstration building (educational buildings) according to the air flow path and inlet opening ratio. For this purpose, the uniformity of the airflow in the collector was compared through the NX computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program, and the acquired thermal calories and thermal efficiency of the BIPVT collector were compared and analyzed. Based on the simulation results, the temperature and thermal characteristics of the BIPVT collector were compared.


Sensors ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 473 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Giorgini ◽  
Saverio Avino ◽  
Pietro Malara ◽  
Paolo De Natale ◽  
Gianluca Gagliardi

We provide here an overview of passive optical micro-cavities made of droplets in the liquid phase. We focus on resonators that are naturally created and suspended under gravity thanks to interfacial forces, illustrating simple ways to excite whispering-gallery modes in various slow-evaporation liquids using free-space optics. Similar to solid resonators, frequency locking of near-infrared and visible lasers to resonant modes is performed exploiting either phase-sensitive detection of the leakage cavity field or multiple interference between whispering-gallery modes in the scattered light. As opposed to conventional micro-cavity sensors, each droplet acts simultaneously as the sensor and the sample, whereby the internal light can detect dissolved compounds and particles. Optical quality factors up to 107–108 are observed in liquid-polymer droplets through photon lifetime measurements. First attempts in using single water droplets are also reported. These achievements point out their huge potential for direct spectroscopy and bio-chemical sensing in liquid environments. Finally, the first experiments of cavity optomechanics with surface acoustic waves in nanolitre droplets are presented. The possibility to perform studies of viscous-elastic properties points to a new paradigm: a droplet device as an opto-fluid-mechanics laboratory on table-top scale under controlled environmental conditions.


Author(s):  
M. Alfaro Cano ◽  
A. Hernandez-Guerrero ◽  
C. Rubio Arana ◽  
Aristotel Popescu

One of the requirements for existing personal computers, PCs, is that the hardware inside must maintain an operating temperature as low as possible. One way to achieve that is to place the hardware components at locations with enough airflow around it. However, the relationship between the airflow and temperature of the components is unknown before they are placed at specific locations inside a PC. In this work a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis is coupled to a Design of Experiment (DOE) methodology to answer typical minitower key questions: a) how do the possible positions of hardware components affect their temperature?, and b) is it possible to get an optimal placement for these hardware components using the data collected by the CFD simulation results? The DOE methodology is used to optimize the analysis for a very large number of possible configurations. The results help in identifying where the efforts need to be placed in order to optimize the positioning of the hardware components for similar configurations at the designing stage. Somehow the results show that general conclusions could be drawn, but that there are not specific rules that could be applied to every configuration.


2016 ◽  
Vol 788 ◽  
pp. 549-575 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Emerson ◽  
Tim Lieuwen ◽  
Matthew P. Juniper

This paper presents an experimental and theoretical investigation of high-Reynolds-number low-density reacting wakes near a hydrodynamic Hopf bifurcation. This configuration is applicable to the wake flows that are commonly used to stabilize flames in high-velocity flows. First, an experimental study is conducted to measure the limit-cycle oscillation of this reacting bluff-body wake. The experiment is repeated while independently varying the bluff-body lip velocity and the density ratio across the flame. In all cases, the wake exhibits a sinuous oscillation. Linear stability analysis is performed on the measured time-averaged velocity and density fields. In the first stage of this analysis, a local spatiotemporal stability analysis is performed on the measured time-averaged velocity and density fields. The stability analysis results are compared to the experimental measurement and demonstrate that the local stability analysis correctly captures the influence of the lip-velocity and density-ratio parameters on the sinuous mode. In the second stage of the analysis, the linear direct and adjoint global modes are estimated by combining the local results. The sensitivity of the eigenvalue to changes in intrinsic feedback mechanisms is found by combining the direct and adjoint global modes. This is referred to as the eigenvalue sensitivity throughout the paper for reasons of brevity. The predicted global mode frequency is consistently within 10 % of the measured value, and the linear global mode shape closely resembles the measured nonlinear oscillations. The adjoint global mode reveals that the oscillation is strongly sensitive to open-loop forcing in the shear layers. The eigenvalue sensitivity identifies a wavemaker in the recirculation zone of the wake. A parametric study shows that these regions change little when the density ratio and lip velocity change. In the third stage of the analysis, the stability analysis is repeated for the varicose hydrodynamic mode. Although not physically observed in this unforced flow, the varicose mode can lock into longitudinal acoustic waves and cause thermoacoustic oscillations to occur. The paper shows that the local stability analysis successfully predicts the global hydrodynamic stability characteristics of this flow and shows that experimental data can be post-processed with this method in order to identify the wavemaker regions and the regions that are most sensitive to external forcing, for example from acoustic waves.


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