Numerical simulations and analysis of the turbulent flow field in a practical gas turbine engine combustor

The turbulent flow field in a practical gas turbine combustor is very complex because of the interactions between various flows resulting from components like multiple types of swirlers, dilution holes, and liner effusion cooling holes. Numerical simulations of flows in such complex combustor configurations are challenging. The challenges result from (a) the complexities of the interfaces between multiple three-dimensional shear layers, (b) the need for proper treatment of a large number of tiny effusion holes with multiple angles, and (c) the requirements for fast turnaround times in support of engineering design optimization. Both the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes simulation (RANS) and the large eddy simulation (LES) for the practical combustor geometry are considered. An autonomous meshing using the cut-cell Cartesian method and adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) is demonstrated for the first time to simulate the flow in a practical combustor geometry. The numerical studies include a set of computations of flows under a prescribed pressure drop across the passage of interest and another set of computations with all passages open with a specified total flow rate at the plenum inlet and the pressure at the exit. For both sets, the results of the RANS and the LES flow computations agree with each other and with the corresponding measurements. The results from the high-resolution LES simulations are utilized to gain fundamental insights into the complex turbulent flow field by examining the profiles of the velocity, the vorticity, and the turbulent kinetic energy. The dynamics of the turbulent structures are well captured in the results of the LES simulations.

A Numerical Investigation of the Performance of Linear Interpolation Schemes Coupled Finite Volume Method in the Analysis of Confined Convection-Diffusion Turbulent Flow Field

Numerical solutions are never exact due to errors emanating from the scheme used in discretizing the governing equations and the flow domain. For convection-diffusion flow, the magnitude of these errors varies depending on the scheme used to interpolate the nodal values of the flow quantities to the interfaces. An interpolation scheme that minimizes these errors would give results that are consistent to experimental results. This paper documents the performance of three linear interpolation schemes; upwind differencing, central differencing scheme and the hybrid scheme in obtaining temperature profiles for a convection-diffusion turbulent flow field. To eliminate the enormous scales inherent in turbulent flow, the field variables present in the governing equations are decomposed into a mean and a fluctuating component and averaged. The closure problem was solved using the turbulence model. The resulting equations are discretized using the robust finite volume discretization technique. The discretized equations are solved using a segregated pressure-based algorithm. The results revealed that the central difference interpolation scheme generate temperature profiles that were consistent with experimental results of Ampofo and Karayiannis, (2003).

Pressure reconstruction of a planar turbulent flow field within a multiply-connected domain with arbitrary boundary shapes

Over the past two decades, it has been demonstrated that the instantaneous spatial pressure distribution in a turbulent flow field can be reconstructed from the pressure gradient field non-intrusively measured by Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). Representative pressure reconstruction methods include the omnidirectional integration (Liu and Katz, 2006; Liu et al., 2016; Liu and Moreto, 2020), the Poisson equation approach (Violato et al., 2011; De Kat and Van Oudheusden, 2012), the least-square method (Jeon et al., 2015), and most recently, the adjoint-based sequential data assimilation method, which also essentially utilizes the Poisson equation to reconstruct the pressure(He et al., 2020). Most of these previous pressure reconstruction examples, however, were applied to simply-connected domains (Gluzman et al., 2017) only. None of these previous studies have discussed how to apply the pressure reconstruction procedures to a multiply-connected domain (Gluzman et al., 2017). To fill in this gap, this paper presents a detailed report for the first time documenting the implementation procedures and validation results for pressure reconstruction of a planar turbulent flow field within a multiply-connected domain that has arbitrary inner and outer boundary shapes. The pressure reconstruction algorithm used in the current study is the rotating parallelray omni-directional integration algorithm, which, as demonstrated in reference (Liu and Moreto, 2020) based on simply-connected flow domains, offers high-level of accuracy in the reconstructed pressure. While preserving the nature and advantage of the parallel ray omni-directional pressure reconstruction at places with flow data, the new implementation of the algorithm is capable of processing an arbitrary number of inner void areas with arbitrary boundary shapes. Validation of the multiply-connected domain pressure reconstruction code is conducted using the DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation) isotropic turbulence field available at the Johns Hopkins Turbulence Databases, with 1000 statistically independent pressure gradient field realizations embedded with random noise used to gauge the code performance. For further validation, the code is also applied for pressure reconstruction from the DNS pressure gradient in the ambient flow field of a shock-induced non-spherical bubble collapse in water (Johnsen and Colonius, 2009). The successful implementation of the parallel ray pressure reconstruction method to multiply-connected domains paves the way for a variety of important applications including, for example, experimental characterization of pressure field changes during the process of cavitation bubble inception, growth and collapse, non-intrusive unsteady aerodynamic force assessment for an arbitrary body shape immersed in flows, and multi-phase flow investigations, etc. In particular, as an immediate follow-up effort, the parallel ray pressure code will be used for the instantaneous pressure distribution reconstruction of the turbulent flow surrounding cavitation inception bubbles occurring on top of a cavity trailing corner based on high-speed PIV measurements.

Visual analytics of combustion on time-varying turbulent-flow

Visualization is crucial for analyzing the turbulent combustion simulation. Time-varying data allows us to investigate the evolution process of the turbulent flow field. To study the combustion effects, we calculated the enstrophy of the flow field since high enstrophy region can display valuable features, and extract components based on these features. We isolated large components to track their behaviors and characterized them using volume and spatial locations, which helps scientists to explore the dynamics and temporal changes of intense events individually. We analyzed the components' structures and visualized them in contouring and statistical charts.

Study on the Law of Pseudo-Cavitation on Superhydrophobic Surface in Turbulent Flow Field of Backward-Facing Step

Superhydrophobic surface is regarded as important topic in the field of thermal fluids today due to its unique features on flow drag reduction and heat transfer enhancement. In this study, the pseudo-cavitation phenomenon on the superhydrophobic surface in the backward-facing step turbulent flow field is observed through experiments. The underlying reason for this phenomenon is studied with experimental observation and analysis, and the time variant mechanisms of this phenomenon with various Reynolds number is summarized. The research results indicate that the superhydrophobic surface and the backward-facing step provide the material basis and dynamic condition for the generation of pseudo-cavitation. The pseudo-cavitation induces a large bubble on the superhydrophobic surface below the backward-facing step. The size, position, shape, oscillation amplitude, detachment, and splitting of the large bubble show regularity with the changes of Reynolds number. Meanwhile, the bubble growth, oscillation, detachment, split, and regeneration over time also show regularity. The study of bubble generation and development laws can be used to better control the perturbation of the flow field. Importantly, the present study has meaning in better understanding the flow mechanisms and gas coverage of superhydrophobic surface under condition of backward-facing step, paving the way for studying the flow drag reduction effect of superhydrophobic surface.

Using finite volume method for investigating the turbulent flow field and heat transfer of a non-Newtonian nanofluid in a channel with triangular vortex generators

This study examines the turbulent flow field and heat transfer rate (HTR) of the non-Newtonian H2O-Al2O3-carboxymethyl (CMC) in a channel with vortex generators. The finite volume method and SIMPLE algorithm were employed for solving the partial differential equations. The mean Nusselt numbers (Num) and pressure drops were studied at angles of 30-60°, vortex generator depths of 1-3 mm, Reynolds numbers (Re) of 3000-30000, and nanoparticles volume fractions (φ) of 0.5% and 1.5%. According to the numerical results, the use of triangular vortex generators significantly incremented the Nusselt number (Nu) of the non-Newtonian nanofluid (NF), while it had a lower effect on the enhancement of pressure drop (DP). It was also indicated that a change in the vortex generator depth in the range of a few millimeters had no significant effects on the Nu and pressure drop. Moreover, a rise in the Re (i.e., more turbulent flow) significantly incremented HTR. An increase in the Re raised pressure drop; however, the Num incremented more than the pressure drop. Also, the variations of the local Nu indicated that the local Nu significantly incremented around vortex generators due to the formation of vortex flows. An enhancement in the volume fraction of the base fluid’s nanoparticles (NPs) from 0.5% to 1.5% significantly incremented HTR and the Nu.