Large-Scale Homogeneous Hydrogen-Air-Steam Deflagration Experiment Simulated Using Two Turbulent Flame Speed Closure Models

Author(s):  
Tadej Holler ◽  
Varun Jain ◽  
Ed M. J. Komen ◽  
Ivo Kljenak

The CFD combustion modeling approach based on two combustion models was applied to a hydrogen deflagration experiment conducted in a large-scale confined experimental vessel. The used combustion models were Zimont’s Turbulent Flames Speed Closure (TFC) model and Lipatnikov’s Flame Speed Closure (FSC) model. The conducted simulations are aimed to aid identifying and evaluating the potential hydrogen risks in Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) containment. The simulation results show good agreement with experiment for axial flame propagation using the Lipatnikov combustion model. However substantial overprediction in radial flame propagation is observed using both combustion models, which consequently results also in overprediction of the pressure increase rate and overall combustion energy output. As assumed for a large-scale experiment without any turbulence inducing structures, the combustion took place in low-turbulence regimes, where the Lipatnikov combustion model, due to its inclusion of quasi-laminar source term, has advantage over the Zimont model.

Author(s):  
Holler Tadej ◽  
Ed M. J. Komen ◽  
Kljenak Ivo

The paper presents the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) combustion modeling approach based on two combustion models. This modeling approach was applied to a hydrogen deflagration experiment conducted in a large-scale confined experimental vessel. The used combustion models were Zimont's turbulent flame-speed closure (TFC) model and Lipatnikov's flame-speed closure (FSC) model. The conducted simulations are aimed to aid identifying and evaluating the potential hydrogen risks in nuclear power plant (NPP) containment. The simulation results show good agreement with experiment for axial flame propagation using the Lipatnikov combustion model. However, substantial overprediction in radial flame propagation is observed using both combustion models, which consequently results also in overprediction of the pressure increase rate and overall combustion energy output. As assumed for a large-scale experiment without any turbulence inducing structures, the combustion took place in low-turbulence regimes, where the Lipatnikov combustion model, due to its inclusion of quasi-laminar source term, has advantage over the Zimont model.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (14) ◽  
pp. 4210
Author(s):  
Alessandro d’Adamo ◽  
Clara Iacovano ◽  
Stefano Fontanesi

Turbulent combustion modelling in internal combustion engines (ICEs) is a challenging task. It is commonly synthetized by incorporating the interaction between chemical reactions and turbulent eddies into a unique term, namely turbulent flame speed sT. The task is very complex considering the variety of turbulent and chemical scales resulting from engine load/speed variations. In this scenario, advanced turbulent combustion models are asked to predict accurate burn rates under a wide range of turbulence–flame interaction regimes. The framework is further complicated by the difficulty in unambiguously evaluating in-cylinder turbulence and by the poor coherence of turbulent flame speed (sT) measurements in the literature. Finally, the simulated sT from combustion models is found to be rarely assessed in a rigorous manner. A methodology is presented to objectively measure the simulated sT by a generic combustion model over a range of engine-relevant combustion regimes, from Da = 0.5 to Da = 75 (i.e., from the thin reaction regime to wrinkled flamelets). A test case is proposed to assess steady-state burn rates under specified turbulence in a RANS modelling framework. The methodology is applied to a widely adopted combustion model (ECFM-3Z) and the comparison of the simulated sT with experimental datasets allows to identify modelling improvement areas. Dynamic functions are proposed based on turbulence intensity and Damköhler number. Finally, simulations using the improved flame speed are carried out and a satisfactory agreement of the simulation results with the experimental/theoretical correlations is found. This confirms the effectiveness and the general applicability of the methodology to any model. The use of grid/time resolution typical of ICE combustion simulations strengthens the relevance of the proposed dynamic functions. The presented analysis allows to improve the adherence of the simulated burn rate to that of literature turbulent flames, and it unfolds the innovative possibility to objectively test combustion models under any prescribed turbulence/flame interaction regime. The solid data-driven representation of turbulent combustion physics is expected to reduce the tuning effort in ICE combustion simulations, providing modelling robustness in a very critical area for virtual design of innovative combustion systems.


2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
E P Hicks

ABSTRACT Rayleigh–Taylor (RT) unstable flames are a key component of Type Ia and Iax supernovae explosions, but their complex hydrodynamics is still not well understood. These flames are affected not only by the RT instability, but also by the turbulence it generates. Both processes can increase the flame speed by stretching and wrinkling the flame. This makes it hard to choose a subgrid model for the flame speed in full star Type Ia or Iax simulations. Commonly used subgrid models get around this difficulty by assuming that either the RT instability or turbulence is dominant and sets the flame speed. In previous work, we evaluated the physical assumptions and predictive abilities of these two types of models by analysing a large parameter study of 3D direct numerical simulations of RT unstable flames. Surprisingly, we found that the flame dynamics is dominated by the RT instability and that RT unstable flames are very different from turbulent flames. In particular, RT unstable flames are thinner rather than thicker when turbulence is strong. In addition, none of the turbulent flame speed models adequately predicted the flame speed. We also showed that the RT flame speed model failed when the RT instability was strong, suggesting that geometrical burning effects also influence the flame speed. However, these results depended on simulations with Re ≲ 720. In this paper, we extend the parameter study to higher Reynolds number and show that the basic conclusions of our previous study still hold when the RT-generated turbulence is stronger.


Author(s):  
Ehsan Abbasi-Atibeh ◽  
Sandeep Jella ◽  
Jeffrey M. Bergthorson

Sensitivity to stretch and differential diffusion of chemical species are known to influence premixed flame propagation, even in the turbulent environment where mass diffusion can be greatly enhanced. In this context, it is convenient to characterize flames by their Lewis number (Le), a ratio of thermal-to-mass diffusion. The work reported in this paper describes a study of flame stabilization characteristics when the Le is varied. The test data is comprised of Le ≪ 1 (Hydrogen), Le ≈ 1 (Methane), and Le > 1 (Propane) flames stabilized at various turbulence levels. The experiments were carried out in a Hot exhaust Opposed-flow Turbulent Flame Rig (HOTFR), which consists of two axially-opposed, symmetric turbulent round jets. The stagnation plane between the two jets allows the aerodynamic stabilization of a flame, and clearly identifies fuel influences on turbulent flames. Furthermore, high-speed Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), using oil droplet seeding, allowed simultaneous recordings of velocity (mean and rms) and flame surface position. These experiments, along with data processing tools developed through this study, illustrated that in the mixtures with Le ≪ 1, turbulent flame speed increases considerably compared to the laminar flame speed due to differential diffusion effects, where higher burning rates compensate for the steepening average velocity gradient, and keeps these flames almost stationary as bulk flow velocity increases. These experiments are suitable for validating the ability of turbulent combustion models to predict lifted, aerodynamically-stabilized flames. In the final part of this paper, we model the three fuels at two turbulence intensities using the FGM model in a RANS context. Computations reveal that the qualitative flame stabilization trends reproduce the effects of turbulence intensity, however, more accurate predictions are required to capture the influences of fuel variations and differential diffusion.


2012 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 464-481 ◽  
Author(s):  
Udo Gerke ◽  
Konstantinos Boulouchos

The mixture formation and combustion process of a hydrogen direct-injection internal combustion engine is computed using a modified version of a commercial three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics code. The aim of the work is the evaluation of hydrogen laminar flame speed correlations and turbulent flame speed closures with respect to combustion of premixed and stratified mixtures at various levels of air-to-fuel equivalence ratio. Heat-release rates derived from in-cylinder pressure traces are used for the validation of the combustion simulations. A turbulent combustion model with closures for a turbulent flame speed is investigated. The value of the computed heat-release rates mainly depends on the quality of laminar burning velocities and standard of turbulence quantities provided to the combustion model. Combustion simulations performed with experimentally derived laminar flame speed data give better results than those using laminar flame speeds obtained from a kinetic scheme. However, experimental data of hydrogen laminar flame speeds found in the literature are limited regarding the range of pressures, temperatures and air-to-fuel equivalence ratios, and do not comply with the demand of high-pressure engine-relevant conditions.


2017 ◽  
Vol 835 ◽  
pp. 102-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke J. Humphrey ◽  
Benjamin Emerson ◽  
Tim C. Lieuwen

This paper considers the manner in which turbulent premixed flames respond to a superposition of turbulent and narrowband disturbances. This is an important fundamental problem that arises in most combustion applications, as turbulent flames exist in hydrodynamically unstable flow fields and/or in confined systems with narrowband acoustic waves. This paper presents the first measurements of the sensitivity of the turbulent displacement speed to harmonically oscillating flame wrinkles. The flame is attached to a transversely oscillating, heated wire, resulting in the introduction of coherent, convecting wrinkles on the flame. The approach flow turbulence is varied systematically using a variable turbulence generator, enabling quantification of the effect of turbulent flow disturbances on the harmonic wrinkles. Mie scattering measurements are used to quantify the flame edge dynamics, while high speed particle image velocimetry is used to measure the flow field characteristics. By ensemble averaging the results, the ensemble-averaged flame edge and flow characteristics are recovered. For low turbulence intensities, sharp cusps are present in the negative curvature regions of the ensemble-averaged flame position, similar to laminar flames. These cusps are smoothed out at high turbulence intensities. The coherent, ensemble-averaged flame wrinkle amplitude decays with increasing turbulence intensity and with downstream distance. In addition, the ensemble-averaged turbulent flame speed is modulated in space and time. The most significant result of these measurements is the clear demonstration of the correlation between the ensemble-averaged turbulent flame speed and ensemble-averaged flame curvature, with the phase-dependent flame speed increasing in regions of negative curvature. These results have important implications on turbulent combustion physics and modelling, since quasi-coherent velocity disturbances are nearly ubiquitous in shear driven, high turbulent flows and/or confined systems with acoustic feedback. Specifically, these data clearly show that nonlinear interactions occur between the multi-scale turbulent disturbances and the more narrowband disturbances associated with coherent structures. In other words, conceptual models of the controlling physics in combustors with shear driven turbulence must account for the fundamentally different effects of spectrally distributed turbulent disturbances and more narrowband, quasi-coherent disturbances.


Author(s):  
Alejandro M. Briones ◽  
Balu Sekar ◽  
Timothy Erdmann

The effect of centrifugal force on flame propagation velocity of stoichiometric propane-, kerosene-, and n-octane-air turbulent premixed flames was numerically examined. The quasi-turbulent numerical model was set in an unsteady two-dimensional geometry with finite length in the transverse and streamwise directions but with infinite length in the spanwise direction. There was relatively good comparison between literature-reported measurements and predictions of propane-air flame propagation velocity as a function of centrifugal force. It was found that for all mixtures the flame propagation velocity increases with centrifugal force. It reaches a maximum then falls off rapidly with further increases in centrifugal force. The results of this numerical study suggest there are no distinct differences among the three mixtures in terms of the effect of centrifugal force on the flame propagation velocity. There are, however, quantitative differences. The numerical models are set in a non-inertial, rotating reference frame. This rotation imposes a radially outward (centrifugal) force. The ignited mixture at one end of the tube raises the temperature and its heat release tends to laminarize the flow. The attained density difference combined with the direction of the centrifugal force promotes Rayleigh-Taylor instability. This instability with thermal expansion and turbulent flame speed constitute the flame propagation mechanism towards the other tube end. A wave is also originated but propagates faster than the flame. During propagation the flame interacts with eddies that wrinkle and/or corrugate the flame. The flame front wrinkles interact with streamtubes that enhance Landau-Darrieus (hydrodynamic) instability, giving rise to a corrugated flame. Under strong stretch conditions the stabilizing equidiffusive-curvature mechanism fails and the flame front breaks up, allowing inflow of unburned mixture into the flame. This phenomenon slows down the flame temporarily and then the flame speeds up faster than before. However, if corrugation is large and the inflow of unburned mixture into the flame is excessive, the latter locally quenches and slows down the flame. This occurs when the centrifugal force is large, tending to blowout the flame. The wave in the tube interacts continuously with the flame through baroclinic torques at the flame front that further enhances the above mentioned flame-eddies interactions. Only at low centrifugal forces the wave intermingles several times with the flame before the averaged flame propagation velocity is determined. The centrifugal force does not substantially increase the turbulent flame speed as commented by previous experimental investigations. The results also suggest that an ultra-compact combustor (UCC) with high-g cavity (HGC) will be limited to centrifugal force levels in the 2000–3000g range.


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