A Critical Evaluation of Turbulence Modeling in a Model Combustor

Author(s):  
Leiyong Jiang

Based on the previous benchmark studies on combustion, scalar transfer and radiation models, a critical evaluation of turbulence models in a propane-air diffusion flame combustor with interior and exterior conjugate heat transfers has been performed. Results obtained from six turbulence models are presented and compared in detail with a comprehensive database obtained from a series of experimental measurements. It is found that the Reynolds stress model (RSM), a second moment closure, is superior over the five popular eddy-viscosity two-equation models. Although the main flow patterns are captured by all six turbulence models, only the RSM is able to successfully predict the lengths of both recirculation zones and give fairly accurate predictions for mean velocity, temperature, CO2 and CO mole fractions, as well as turbulence kinetic energy in the combustor chamber. In addition, the realizable k-ε (Rk-ε) model illustrates better performance than four other two-equation models and can provide comparable results to those from the RSM for the configuration and operating conditions considered in the present study.

Author(s):  
Leiyong Jiang

Based on the previous benchmark studies on combustion, scalar transfer, and radiation models, a critical evaluation of turbulence models in a propane-air diffusion flame combustor with interior and exterior conjugate heat transfers has been performed. Results obtained from six turbulence models are presented and compared in detail with a comprehensive database obtained from a series of experimental measurements. It is found that the Reynolds stress model (RSM), a second moment closure, is superior over the five popular eddy-viscosity two-equation models. Although the main flow patterns are captured by all six turbulence models, only the RSM is able to successfully predict the lengths of both recirculation zones and give fairly accurate predictions for mean velocity, temperature, CO2 and CO mole fractions, as well as turbulence kinetic energy in the combustor chamber. In addition, the realizable k-ε (Rk-ε) model illustrates better performance than four other two-equation models and can provide comparable results to those from the RSM for the configuration and operating conditions considered in the present study.


Author(s):  
Lei-Yong Jiang ◽  
Ian Campbell

The flow field of a propane-air diffusion flame combustor with interior and exterior conjugate heat transfers was numerically investigated. Solutions obtained from four turbulence models together with a laminar flamelet combustion model, discrete ordinates radiation model and enhanced wall treatment are presented and discussed. The numerical results are compared, in detail, with a comprehensive database obtained from a series of experimental measurements. It is found that the Reynolds stress model (RSM), a second moment closure, illustrates superior performance over three popular two-equation eddy-viscosity models. Although the main flow features are captured by all four turbulence models, only the RSM is able to successfully predict the lengths of both recirculation zones and the turbulence kinetic energy distribution in the combustor chamber. In addition, it provides fairly good predictions for all Reynolds stress components, except for the circumferential normal stress at downstream sections. However, the superiority of the RSM is not so obvious for the temperature and species predictions in comparison with eddy-viscosity models, except for the standard k-ε model. This suggests that coupling between the RSM and combustion models needs to be further improved in order to enhance its applications in practical combustion systems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 128 ◽  
pp. 05002
Author(s):  
Ali Cemal Benim ◽  
Michael Diederich ◽  
Ali Nahavandi

The present paper presents a detailed computational analysis of flow and dispersion in a generic isolated single–zone buildings. First, a grid generation strategy is discussed, that is inspired by a previous computational analysis and a grid independence study. Different turbulence models are appliedincluding two-equation turbulence models, the differential Reynolds Stress Model, Detached Eddy Simulation and Zonal Large Eddy Simulation. The mean velocity and concentration fields are calculated and compared with the measurements. A satisfactory agreement with the experiments is not observed by any of the modelling approaches, indicating the highly demanding flow and turbulence structure of the problem.


2002 ◽  
Vol 124 (3) ◽  
pp. 668-677 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. M. Bianchi ◽  
G. Cantore ◽  
P. Parmeggiani ◽  
V. Michelassi

The linear k-ε model, in its different formulations, still remains the most widely used turbulence model for the solutions of internal combustion engine (ICE) flows thanks to the use of only two scale-determining transport variables and the simple constitutive relation. This paper discusses the application of nonlinear k-ε turbulence models for internal combustion engine flows. Motivations to nonlinear eddy viscosity models use arise from the consideration that such models combine the simplicity of linear eddy-viscosity models with the predictive properties of second moment closure. In this research the nonlinear k-ε models developed by Speziale in quadratic expansion, and Craft et al. in cubic expansion, have been applied to a practical tumble flow. Comparisons between calculated and measured mean velocity components and turbulence intensity were performed for simple flow structure case. The effects of quadratic and cubic formulations on numerical predictions were investigated too, with particular emphasis on anisotropy and influence of streamline curvature on Reynolds stresses.


Author(s):  
Dominik von Lavante ◽  
Eckart Laurien

With recent progress in high-temperature pebble-bed reactor programs research focus has started to include more ancillary engineering issues. One very important aspect for the realisability is the mixing of hot and colder helium in the reactor lower plenum. Under nominal operating conditions, depending on core design, the temperature of hot gas leaving the core can locally differ up to 210° C. Due to material limitations, these temperature differences have to be reduced to at least ±15° C. Several reduced-size air experiments have been performed on this problem, but their applicability to modern commercially sized reactors is not certain. With the rise in computing power CFD simulations can be performed in addition, but advanced turbulence modeling is necessary due to the highly swirling and turbulent nature of this flow. The presented work uses the geometry of the German HTR-Modul which consists of an annular mixing channel and radially arranged ribs. Using the commercial CFD code ANSYS CFX, we have made detailed analyses of the complex 3D vortical flow phenomena within this geometry. Several momentum transport turbulence models, e.g. the classical k-e model, advanced two-equation models and Reynolds-Stress Models were compared with respect to their accuracy for this particular flow. In addition, the full set of turbulent scalar flux transport equations was implemented for modeling the three components of turbulent transport of enthalpy seperately and were compared with the standard turbulent Prandtl number approach. As expected from previous work in related fields of turbulence modeling, the differences in predicting the mixing performance between models were significant. Only the full Reynolds-Stress model coupled with the scalar flux equations was able to reproduce the experimentally observed reduction of mixing efficiency with increasing Reynolds number. The correct scaling of mixing efficiencies demonstrates that the utilized turbulence models are able to reproduce the physics of the underlying flow. Hence they could be employed for the scaling and optimization of the lower plenum geometry. The results also showed that the original geometry used for the HTR-Modul is insufficient to provide adequate mixing, and that hence a not sufficiently mixed coolant for future reactor designs might be an issue. Based on this work, an optimization for future lower plenum geometries has become feasible.


Author(s):  
Matthias Ullrich ◽  
Benjamin Krumbein ◽  
Robert Maduta ◽  
Suad Jakirlić

An instability-sensitive, eddy-resolving Reynolds Stress Model of turbulence, employed in the Eulerian-Eulerian two-fluid framework, is formulated and validated by computing the gas-liquid bubble column in a three-dimensional square cross-sectioned configuration in the homogeneous flow regime. Interphase momentum transfer is modelled by considering drag, lift and virtual mass forces. The turbulence in the continuous liquid phase is captured by using a Second-Moment Closure model employed in the Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes framework implying the solving of the differential transport equations for the Reynolds stress tensor and the homogeneous part of the inverse turbulent time scale ωh. This uiuj – ωh model is appropriately extended in accordance with the Scale-Adaptive Simulation proposal, enabling so the development of the fluctuating turbulence. The results obtained are analysed along with a reference experiment with respect to the evolution of the mean flow and turbulent quantities in both gas and liquid phases. The model described is implemented in the numerical code OpenFOAM.


2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-103 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramsey R. Harcourt

AbstractA prior second-moment closure (SMC) model of Langmuir turbulence in the upper ocean is modified by introduction of inhomogeneous pressure–strain rate and pressure–scalar gradient closures that are similar to the high Reynolds number, near-wall treatments for solid wall boundaries. This repairs several near-surface defects in the algebraic Reynolds stress model (ARSM) of the prior SMC by redirecting Craik–Leibovich (CL) vortex force production of turbulent kinetic energy out of the surface-normal vertical component and into a horizontal one, with an associated reduction in near-surface CL production of vertical momentum flux. A surface-proximity function introduces a new closure parameter that is tuned to previous results from large-eddy simulations (LES), and a numerical SMC model based on stability functions from the new ARSM produces improved comparisons with mean profiles of momentum and TKE components from steady-state LES results forced by aligned wind and waves. An examination of higher-order quasi-homogeneous closures and a numerical simulation of Langmuir turbulence away from the boundaries both show the near-surface inhomogeneous closure to be both necessary for consistency and preferable for simplicity.


2007 ◽  
Vol 129 (12) ◽  
pp. 1719-1722 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert E. Spall ◽  
Eugen Nisipeanu ◽  
Adam Richards

Both low- and high-Reynolds-number versions of the stress-ω model of Wilcox (Turbulence Modeling for CFD, 2nd ed., DCW Industries, Inc.) were used to predict velocity and heat transfer data in a high-heat-flux cylindrical tube for which fluid properties varied strongly with temperature. The results indicate that for accurate heat transfer calculations under the conditions considered in this study, inclusion of low-Reynolds-number viscous corrections to the model are essential. The failure of the high-Reynolds-number model to accurately predict the wall temperature was attributed to an overprediction of the near-wall velocity.


Author(s):  
Vinicius Martins Segunda ◽  
Scott Ormiston ◽  
Mark Tachie

A commercial CFD code (ANSYS CFX, release 16.2) is used to predict the turbulent flow phenomena over a wavy wall. The present work will provide numerical simulations of flow in a channel with a wavy lower wall using a variety of turbulence models available in the CFD commercial code. Eddy viscosity models and Second Moment Closure models were used with wall function available. Those turbulence models had different predictions for the flow field, in which were evaluated: velocity profiles, pressure distribution, wall shear stress, recirculation region and turbulence quantities. A comparison between their predictions will be presented. The validation of results is performed by comparison to experimental data from previous studies and also LES simulations.


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