Numerical Study of Velocity and Mixture Fraction Fields in a Turbulent Non-reacting Propane Jet Flow Issuing into Parallel Co-Flowing Air in Isothermal Condition through OpenFOAM

Abstract

The present work is a numerical simulation of velocity and mixture fraction fields in a turbulent non-reaction Propane jet flow issuing into parallel co-flowing air, in isothermal condition which has been experimentally described here: http://www.sandia.gov/TNF/DataArch/ProJet.html. The objective is a better understanding of the flow structure and mixing process, a situation in which there is no chemical interaction and heat-transfer. The two-equation Realizable k-ε eddy viscosity turbulence model has been used to simulate the turbulent flow field on a 2D plane (i.e., on a 5-degree sector of the experimental domain), because Realizable k-ε more accurately predicts the spreading rate of both planar and round jets and presents the best proficiency in comparison with all versions of the k-ε models. Afterward, axial and radial profiles of mean velocities, turbulence energy, mean mixture fraction, the mixture fraction half radius (Lf), and the mass flux diagram have been numerically elicited for grid independent mesh (mesh B) and compared with corresponding experimental data to assess the numerical model. To obtain turbulence kinetic energy, k, due to lack of w' in the experimental data, the assumption of w'=v' seems to be valid. Simulations have demonstrated that mean mixture fraction (at radial profiles at locations x/D=0, 4, 15, 30 and 50) and its half radius, Lf, which characterizes jet width expanse, are prominently well-captured; Moreover, mean vertical velocity fields (in X-direction: Umean) have revealed less accuracy but still conspicuously well-captured. However, mean vertical velocity fields (in Y-direction: Vmean) have disclosed less resolution; Likewise, turbulence kinetic energy, k, have manifested moderate accuracy (between Umean and Vmean). It should be noticed that although numerical results for absolute pressure, p, have been obtained on aforementioned sections, there were no experimental data to compare with them. Thus, the corresponding numerical data has not been demonstrated in this study.