Aerodynamics of Linearly Arranged Rad-Rad Swirlers, Effect of Number of Swirlers and Alignment

Author(s):  
Yi-Huan Kao ◽  
Samir B. Tambe ◽  
San-Mou Jeng

A series of experiments have been conducted to study the aerodynamic characteristics of a confined swirling flow generated by multiple rad-rad swirlers arranged linearly. The rad-rad swirlers used in this study are identical, and consist of an inner, primary swirler generating counter-clockwise rotation and an outer, secondary swirler generating clockwise rotation. A two-component Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) system was employed to measure the velocity in the flow field. Initial measurements were conducted on unconfined and confined flow generated by a single swirler to serve as the baseline reference for the multi-swirler arrangements. Tests were conducted for 3 and 5 swirlers arranged in a line, with a spacing of 2D between the swirler centers, where D is the swirler exit diameter. An additional 5 swirler configuration was tested, where the exit plane of the center swirler was shifted 3.2 mm (1/8 inch) in the streamwise direction. The flow field generated by the multi-swirler arrangement is very complex, due to the interaction between the swirling jets of adjacent swirlers. The number of swirlers is seen to have a clear impact on the entire flow structure, as well as each recirculation zone. For the 3 swirler arrangement, a weak CTRZ is observed for the center swirler, whereas strong CTRZs are observed for the two outer swirlers. For the 5 swirler arrangement, the CTRZ pattern for the 3 inner swirlers is the same strong-weak-strong as seen for the 3 swirler arrangements, with weak CTRZs observed for the two outer swirlers. Higher interaction between swirlers is observed for the 5 swirler arrangement, as compared to the case with 3 swirlers. Since the swirlers are identical, the region between swirlers features merging of two opposing swirling jets, producing high turbulence intensity in the near field region. For the case with the offset center swirler, the swirling jet from this swirler did not merge with its neighbors in the near field region. This resulted in strong CTRZ for the center swirler, accompanied by weaker CTRZs at its immediate neighbors, which is reverse of the CTRZ strength pattern observed for the initial 5 swirler arrangement.

Author(s):  
Yi-Huan Kao ◽  
Samir B. Tambe ◽  
San-Mou Jeng

An experimental study has been conducted to examine the effect of chamber length on the aerodynamic characteristics of an enclosed, non-reacting, swirling, flow field. The swirling flow was generated by a counter-rotating radial-radial swirler consisting of an inner, primary swirler generating counter-clockwise rotation and an outer, secondary swirler generating clockwise rotation. The enclosures used were square cross-section chambers of differing lengths. The internal cross section of all chambers was 50.8 mm × 50.8 mm (2 inch × 2 inch). 3 different lengths of chamber used for the tests were 76.2 mm (3″), 101.6 mm (4″), and 152.4 mm (6″) respectively. A nozzle was used at the downstream end of the enclosure to ensure the absence of reverse flow back to test chamber and to simulate the area reduction in typical combustor. The nozzle reduced the cross-section area from 50.8 mm × 50.8 mm (2″ × 2″) to 22.2 mm × 22.2 mm (0.875″ × 0.875″) via 45° slope. A two-component laser doppler velocimetry (LDV) system was used to measure the velocities in the flow fields. The chamber length has been observed to have a clear influence on the mean and turbulent velocity profile near the exit of swirler. However, this effect is not as evident further downstream in the flow field. For the short chamber length, higher values of axial and tangential velocities were observed in the swirling jet due to the proximity of the downstream nozzle to the swirler. For this chamber length, higher turbulence intensities were observed in the swirling jet and inside center toroidal recirculation zone. The magnitudes of the swirling jet velocity and the turbulence intensities decreased with an increase in the chamber length. Two counter-rotating flows could merge more complete in the exit of swirler with the chamber length decreasing.


Author(s):  
Yi-Huan Kao ◽  
Samir B. Tambe ◽  
San-Mou Jeng

An experimental study has been conducted to study the effect of the dome geometry on the aerodynamic characteristics of a non-reacting flow field. The flow was generated by a counter-rotating radial-radial swirler consisting of an inner, primary swirler generating counter-clockwise rotation and an outer, secondary swirler generating clockwise rotation. The dome geometry was modified by introducing dome expansion angles of 60° and 45° with respect to the swirler centerline, in addition to the baseline case of sudden expansion (90°). The flow downstream of the swirler is confined by a 50.8mm × 50.8mm × 304.8mm (2″ × 2″ × 12″) plexiglass chamber. A two-component laser doppler velocimetry (LDV) system was used to measure the velocities in the flow field. The dome geometry is seen to have a clear impact on mean swirling flow structure near the swirler exit rather than the downstream flow field. For the configurations with 60° and 45° expansion, no corner recirculation zone is observed and the swirling flow structure is asymmetric due to the non-axisymmetric dome geometry. The cross-section area of central recirculation zone is larger for dome geometry with 60° expansion angle, as compared to the 90° and 45° cases. The configurations with 60° and 45° expansion have higher magnitudes of negative velocity inside the core of central recirculation zone, as compared to the configuration with 90° expansion angle.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (10) ◽  
pp. 1199-1203
Author(s):  
Md. Mosharrof Hossain ◽  
Muhammed Hasnain Kabir Nayeem ◽  
Dr. Md Abu Taher Ali

In this investigation experiment was carried out in 80 mm diameter swirling pipe jet, where swirl was generated by attaching wedge-shaped helixes in the pipe. All measurements were taken at Re 5.3e4. In the plain pipe jet the potential core was found to exist up to x/D=5 but in the swirling jet there was no existence of potential core. The mean velocity profiles were found to be influenced by the presence of wedge-shaped helixes in the pipe. The velocity profiles indicated the presence of sinusoidal flow field in the radial direction existed only in the near field of the jet. This flow field died out after x/D=3 and the existence of jet flow diminished after x/D=5.


2011 ◽  
Vol 51 (4) ◽  
pp. 881-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Suguru Matsubara ◽  
Hiroshi Gotoda ◽  
Ahmad Adzlan ◽  
Toshihisa Ueda

Author(s):  
Dipanjay Dewanji ◽  
Arvind G. Rao ◽  
Mathieu Pourquie ◽  
Jos P. van Buijtenen

This paper investigates the non-reacting aerodynamic flow characteristics in Lean Direct Injection (LDI) combustors. The RANS modeling is used to simulate the turbulent, non-reacting, and confined flow field associated with a single-element and a nine-element LDI combustor. The results obtained from the simulation are compared with some experimental data available in literature. The numerical model, which is in accordance with an experimental combustor, consists of an air swirler with 6 helical axial vanes of 60 degree vane angle and a converging-diverging duct, extending in a square flame tube. The numerical model covers the entire flow passage, including the highly swirling flow passage through the swirler vanes, and the combustion chamber. Simulation has been performed with a low Reynolds number realizable k-ε model and a Reynolds stress turbulence model. It is observed that the computational model is able to predict the central re-circulation zones (CTRZ), the corner recirculation zones, and the complex flow field associated with the adjacent swirlers with reasonable accuracy. The computed velocity components for the single-element case show that the flow field is similar to the experimental observations.


Author(s):  
Yang Zhang ◽  
Zhou Zhou ◽  
Xu Li

Based on the complex flow field of vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft with distributed propulsion, the influence of the turbulence intensity and gradient of turbulence intensity on the aerodynamic characteristics of two-dimensional airfoil under low Reynolds number was studied by solving the unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) Equation based on the c-type structural mesh and γ-Reθt transition model. The aerodynamic characteristics of NACA0012 airfoil at different turbulence intensities and Reynolds numbers are simulated and compared with the experimental data, which verifies the reliability of the low Reynolds number calculation method. Meanwhile, the effects of the different low Reynolds number and gradient of turbulence intensity on the aero-dynamic characteristics of airfoil are studied, and the effect mechanism of the turbulence on the flow field around airfoil is analyzed. It shows that the flow characteristics of the airfoil with high turbulence or Reynolds number are more stable, the separation bubble size is smaller, the flow separation is delayed, and the stall angle of attack is larger, but the effect of the two mechanisms on the earlier transition is different. The influence of the turbulence gradient on the airfoil is limited by the Reynolds number, and the flow separation, transition and reattachment of the airfoil with high turbulence gradient are advance. The generation and evolution of the laminar separation bubble are closely related to the turbulence intensity and Reynolds number, and its scale and location also affect the aerodynamic characteristics of the airfoil.


1969 ◽  
Vol 36 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Rochino ◽  
Z. Lavan

Turbulent swirling flows in stationary cylindrical ducts were investigated analytically using Taylor’s modified vorticity transport theory and von Karman’s similarity hypothesis extended to consider a three-dimensional fluctuating velocity field. The resulting similarity conditions were used to formulate the expression for eddy diffusivity in the entire flow field except in a small region near the pipe wall where a mixing-length expression analogous to that assumed by Prandtl for parallel flow in channels was used. The swirl equation was solved numerically using a constant that was obtained indirectly from an experiment by Taylor, and the analytical results were compared with two different sets of experimental measurements. In both cases, the agreement between experiment and analysis was satisfactory. Some discrepancies appeared when the flow field was predominantly irrotational or in solid-body rotation: This might have been expected since, for these situations, some of the similarity conditions were indeterminate or infinite.


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