Turbulence Intensity and Length Scale Effects on Premixed Turbulent Flame Propagation

The effects of varying turbulence intensity and turbulence length scale on premixed turbulent flame propagation are investigated using Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS). The DNS dataset contains the results of a set of turbulent flame simulations based on separate and systematic changes in either turbulence intensity or turbulence integral length scale while keeping all other parameters constant. All flames considered are in the thin reaction zones regime. Several aspects of flame behaviour are analysed and compared, either by varying the turbulence intensity at constant integral length scale, or by varying the integral length scale at constant turbulence intensity. The turbulent flame speed is found to increase with increasing turbulence intensity and also with increasing integral length scale. Changes in the turbulent flame speed are generally accounted for by changes in the flame surface area, but some deviation is observed at high values of turbulence intensity. The probability density functions (pdfs) of tangential strain rate and mean flame curvature are found to broaden with increasing turbulence intensity and also with decreasing integral length scale. The response of the correlation between tangential strain rate and mean flame curvature is also investigated. The statistics of displacement speed and its components are analysed, and the findings indicate that changes in response to decreasing integral length scale are broadly similar to those observed for increasing turbulence intensity, although there are some interesting differences. These findings serve to improve current understanding of the role of turbulence length scales in flame propagation.

Turbulent flow structure over rough side-wall surface under wave-against-current motion

An experimental study of periodic surface waves acting against the turbulent currents under the influence of smooth and rough side wall is presented. Flow structure for current alone, and combined wave against current flows over smooth and rough side walls were measured with Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter to resolve the changes in the mean flow and turbulence characteristics resulting from the interaction of the flow and the wall roughness. Turbulent velocity fluctuations were analysed to characterise the turbulence and coherent structures and integral length and time scales were evaluated from the autocorrelation function estimates. Further the Kolmogorov length scales were determined using energy dissipation rate. Results show that the dissipation rate is greater for wave against current flow compared to the current alone flow for rough side walls. The streamwise integral length scale at the measured locations reduced with the increase in wave frequency acting against the current flow. Close to the wall surface, the effect of roughness attenuated the integral length scale and increased the turbulent dissipation rate. Continuous wavelet transform (CWT) was used as a tool to detect and establish the average time and length scales of largest horizontal coherent structures that existed in the wave against current combined flow.

Influence of turbulence integral length scale on aerostatic coefficients of bridge sections

This study investigates the influence of turbulence on the aerostatic coefficients of typical bridges by obtaining force measurements via the simulation of turbulence in wind tunnels. The traditional simulation method for turbulence based on spires and grilles cannot be employed for the accurate simulation of the large integral scale of turbulence in an actual wind field. Thus, in this study, the turbulence integral length scale was effectively increased using an active control grid. The wind fields of different turbulence integral scales were generated by controlling the vibration frequency of the active control grid. The aerostatic coefficients of five typical bridge sections (single-box girder, twin-box girder, truss girder, edge girder, and edge-box girder) were measured under turbulent and uniform flow. The test results were compared and analyzed, which revealed that the drag coefficients increased in accordance with a decrease in the reduced turbulence integral length scale, and they were lower under turbulent flow than under uniform flow.