A general-purpose combustion Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) design analysis tool has been developed. The method is pressure-based and applicable to both incompressible and compressible flows. The unstructured finite-volume approach used can take arbitrary shapes of mesh cells to resolve complicated geometries. Turbulence is simulated either by Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) or by Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approaches. Combustion is modeled by various combinations of combustion chemistry and combustion-turbulence models including transport probability density function (PDF) model. A Lagrangian approach is used to simulate fuel spray droplet. The resulting tool has being used in routine combustor simulations for a variety of commercial and military combustor development programs. Application examples presented include simulations of several combustors and comparisons with available rig data.
The altitude relight performance of a lean fuel injector and combustor was investigated at the altitude relight test rig at the Rolls-Royce Strategic Research Centre (SRC) in Derby. The studies were performed for different mass flow rates of air and kerosene, a combustor temperature and pressure of 278 K and 0.5 bar, respectively. Good optical access to the combustion chamber enabled the application of optical and laser measuring techniques. High-speed video imaging in the UV and visible wavelength range at a frame rate of 3.5 kHz was used to visualize the temporal development of the flame kernel. The observed differences between the UV and visible flame emissions demonstrate the different origins of the luminosity, i.e. OH* chemiluminescence and soot radiation. Further, laser-induced fluorescence of kerosene and OH radicals was applied at a frame rate of 5 Hz to visualize the fuel distribution and regions of hot and reacting mixtures. For two exemplary flames with different mass flow rates and fuel-to-air ratios, the steady burning flames after successful ignition are characterized in this paper by the distributions of kerosene, OH*, OH and soot luminosity. An example of the flame kernel development for a successful ignition is given by an image sequence from a high-speed video recording of the chemiluminescence. The importance of the upstream movement of the flame kernel as a condition preceding successful flame stabilization is identified.
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