Simulations of Unsteady Oscillations in Turbulent Non-Premixed Swirling Flames

Author(s):  
Ranga Dinesh ◽  
Karl Jenkins ◽  
Michael Kirkpatrick

Simulations of turbulent non-premixed swirling flames based on the Sydney swirl burner experiments under different flame characteristics are conducted using large eddy simulations (LES). The simulations attempt to capture the unsteady flame oscillations and explore the underlying instability modes responsible for a centre jet precession and the large scale recirculation zone oscillation. The selected flame series known as SMH flames have a fuel mixture of methane-hydrogen (50:50 by volume). The LES program solved the governing equations on a structured Cartesian grid using finite volume method and the subgrid turbulence and combustion models used the localized dynamic form of Smagorinsky eddy viscosity model and the steady laminar flamelet model respectively. The results show that the LES predicts two types of instability modes near fuel jet region and the bluff body stabilized recirculation zone region. The Mode I instability defined as cyclic precession of a centre jet is identified using time periodicity of the centre jet in flames SMH1 and SMH2. The Mode II instability defined as cyclic expansion and collapse of the recirculation zone is identified using time periodicity of the recirculation zone in flame SMH3. The calculated frequency spectrums found reasonably good agreement with the experimental precession frequencies. Overall, the LES yield a good qualitative and quantitative agreement with the experimental observations, although some discrepancies are apparent.

Author(s):  
J. C. Pan ◽  
M. D. Vangsness ◽  
S. P. Heneghan ◽  
D. R. Ballal

Measurements of mean and rms temperature fluctuations were performed in confined turbulent premixed methane-air flames, stabilized on a conical flameholder. A CARS system was used for these measurements. These tests employed flameholders of different blockage ratios (13% and 25%), and mixtures with different equivalence ratios (0.56, 0.65, 0.8, and 0.9) and approach turbulence intensity (2%, 17%, and 22%). It was found that the recirculation zone closely resembles a perfectly well-stirred reactor. Blockage ratio, equivalence ratio, or approach turbulence intensity did not alter the scalar field. The turbulent flame structure enveloping the recirculation zone comprises: (i) an ignition/thin flame region in the vicinity of the flameholder base, (ii) a reacting shear layer region of large-scale coherent structures, and (iii) a thick flame region where entrainment is the dominant mechanism. Finally, analysis suggests that the scalar gradient-diffusion relationship is valid and areas of non-gradient diffusion, if any, are probably small.


Author(s):  
M Hossain ◽  
W Malalasekera

A laminar flamelet model is applied for bluff-body stabilized flames to study the flow field, mixing pattern, and the flame structure at two different velocities. The k - ɛ turbulence model is applied for accounting the turbulence fluctuations. It is found that the recirculation zone dominates the near field, while the far field structure is similar to the jet flow. The intermediate neck zone is the intense mixing region. The computation shows that the fuel jet velocity has significant effect on the structure of the flow field, which in turn has significant effect on the combustion characteristics. The laminar flamelet model is found to be adequate for simulating the temperature and the flame composition inside the recirculation zone. The flamelet model has, however, failed to account for the local extinction in the neck zone. Possible limitation of the laminar flamelet model to predict the local extinction is discussed.


Author(s):  
Ranga Dinesh ◽  
Karl Jenkins ◽  
Michael Kirkpatrick

Large eddy simulations (LES) of turbulent isothermal swirling flows have been investigated. The Sydney swirl burner configuration has been used for all simulated test cases from a low to a high swirl and Reynolds numbers. Four test cases based on different swirl numbers have been considered and the influence of the swirl number for producing recirculation, vortex breakdown, precession vortex core and the precession frequencies have been investigated. The governing equations for the continuity and momentum are solved on a structured Cartesian grid, and a Smagorinsky eddy viscosity model with the localised dynamic procedure is used as the subgrid scale turbulence model. The results show that the LES successfully predicts both the upstream first recirculation zone generated by the bluff body and the downstream vortex breakdown bubble (VBB) induced by swirl. The plots reveal that the expansion of the upstream recirculation zone is almost similar for each test case. LES results revealed that the increasing swirl number affect to form the VBB in the downstream region, however it promotes the shear layer instability in the recirculation zones. The frequency spectrums indicate the presence of low frequency oscillations and the existence of a central jet precession. Results demonstrated distinct precession frequencies at the considered spatial jet locator and agreed well with the experimental values. The results also highlight the formation of a precessing vortex core (PVC).


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.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (4) ◽  
pp. 1486
Author(s):  
Cuiping Kuang ◽  
Yuhua Zheng ◽  
Jie Gu ◽  
Qingping Zou ◽  
Xuejian Han

Groins are one of the popular manmade structures to modify the hydraulic flow and sediment response in river training. The spacing between groins is a critical consideration to balance the channel-depth and the cost of construction, which is generally determined by the backflow formed downstream from groins. A series of experiments were conducted using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) to observe the influence of groin spacing on the backflow pattern of two bilateral groins. The spacing between groins has significant effect on the behavior of the large-scale recirculation cell behind groins. The magnitude of the wake flow induced by a groin was similar to that induced by another groin on the other side, but the flow direction is opposite. The spanwise velocity near the groin tip dictates the recirculation zone width behind the groins due to the strong links between the spanwise velocity and the contraction ratio of channel cross-sections between groins. Based on previous studies and present experimental results, quantitative empirical relationships are proposed to calculate the recirculation zone length behind groins alternately placed at different spacing along riverbanks. This study provides better understanding and a robust formula to assess the backflow extent of alternate groins and identify the optimum groins array configuration.


1992 ◽  
Vol 241 ◽  
pp. 443-467 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Neish ◽  
F. T. Smith

The basic model problem of separation as predicted by the time-mean boundary-layer equations is studied, with the Cebeci-Smith model for turbulent stresses. The changes between laminar and turbulent flow are investigated by means of a turbulence ‘factor’ which increases from zero for laminar flow to unity for the fully turbulent regime. With an attached-flow starting point, a small increase in the turbulence factor above zero is found to drive the separation singularity towards the trailing edge or rear stagnation point for flow past a circular cylinder, according to both computations and analysis. A separated-flow starting point is found to produce analogous behaviour for the separation point. These findings lead to the suggestion that large-scale separation need not occur at all in the fully turbulent regime at sufficiently high Reynolds number; instead, separation is of small scale, confined near the trailing edge. Comments on the generality of this suggestion are presented, along with some supporting evidence from other computations. Further, the small scale involved theoretically has values which seem reasonable in practical terms.


2017 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 72-85
Author(s):  
Ze-tian Ren ◽  
Su-hui Li ◽  
Min Zhu

This paper aims at developing a computationally inexpensive method to investigate the premixed flame instabilities. The kinematic G-equation is combined with a two-dimensional discrete vortex method, and the conformal mapping is applied to make calculations for complicated geometries more efficiently. The vortex dynamics and flame response to harmonic velocity forcing of an anchored ducted V-flame are investigated, and the effects of harmonic forcing, Reynolds number, and bluff body geometry are examined. Results show that the vortex structures, flow instability, and flame response are closely coupled with each other. The unsteady vortex structures generate instabilities at the flame base, and the convection of the flame wrinkles then influences the flame dynamics downstream. The flame heat release fluctuates with larger amplitude under low-frequency forcings, while the phase of the flame transfer function is quasi-linear with increasing forcing frequency. Both higher inflow velocity and sharper bluff body corners can result in more unsteady large-scale vortex structures and hence influence the flame responses.


Author(s):  
Nikhil Ashokbhai Baraiya ◽  
Baladandayuthapani Nagarajan ◽  
Satynarayanan R. Chakravarthy

In the present work, the proportion of carbon monoxide to hydrogen is widely varied to simulate different compositions of synthesis gas and the potential of the fuel mixture to excite combustion oscillations in a laboratory-scale turbulent bluff body combustor is investigated. The effect of parameters such as the bluff body location and equivalence ratio on the self-excited acoustic oscillations of the combustor is studied. The flame oscillations are mapped by means of simultaneous high-speed CH* and OH* chemiluminescence imaging along with dynamic pressure measurement. Mode shifts are observed as the bluff body location or the air flow Reynolds number/overall equivalence ratio are varied for different fuel compositions. It is observed that the fuel mixtures that are hydrogen-rich excite high amplitude pressure oscillations as compared to other fuel composition cases. Higher H2 content in the mixture is also capable of exciting significantly higher natural acoustic modes of the combustor so long as CO is present, but not without the latter. The interchangeability factor Wobbe Index is not entirely sufficient to understand the unsteady flame response to the chemical composition.


Author(s):  
Kiran Manoharan ◽  
Travis Smith ◽  
Benjamin Emerson ◽  
Christopher M. Douglas ◽  
Tim Lieuwen ◽  
...  

This study is motivated by the necessity to develop a low order prediction approach for unsteady heat release response characteristics in lean premixed gas turbine combustors. This in turn requires an accurate description of the coherent hydrodynamic oscillations induced in the combustor flow by acoustic forcing. Time resolved velocity and flame position fields are obtained using sPIV and OH-PLIF measurements on a single nozzle, swirl-stabilized, premixed, methane-air flame in a model “unwrapped” annular combustor rig. A natural acoustic oscillation in the rig at 115 Hz results in a coherent flow oscillation that is concentrated primarily within the shear layer between the annular jet flow and the central recirculation zone. A linear stability analysis performed about time averaged base flow fields shows that the flow does not have any self-excited hydrodynamic modes. We then compare predictions from a forced response analysis at a forcing frequency of 115 Hz, based on the linearized Navier-Stokes equations for this coherent response. Good qualitative agreement between linear forced response analysis predictions and experimental response results, is seen for the spatial variation of velocity oscillation amplitude fields, away from the burner centerline. Further, good quantitative agreement between predictions and the experimental response is seen for the phase speed of velocity oscillations along the shear layer between the annular jet and the central recirculation zone. This phase velocity is an important flow field characteristic that has a significant impact on the heat release response that results from these coherent velocity oscillations. Present methods for forced response analysis assume uniform forcing amplitude along the radial direction at the forcing location, as well as, open flows along the streamwise direction. Both these assumptions are not strictly true for the present burner which has a center body on its axis. This maybe the reason for somewhat poor qualitative and quantitative agreement between experiments and predictions at the centerline.


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