A novel approach to predict the stability limits of combustion chambers with large eddy simulation

Lean premixed combustion,which allows for reducing the production of thermal NOx,is prone to
combustion instabilities.There is an extensive research to develop a reduced physical model,which
allows-without time-consuming measurements-to calculate the resonance characteristics of a
combustion system consisting of Helmholtz resonator type components （burner plenum,combustion
chamber）.For the formulation of this model numerical investigations by means of compressible Large
Eddy Simulation （LES） were carried out.In these investigations the flow in the combustion chamber is
isotherm,non-reacting and excited with a sinusoidal mass flow rate.Firstly a combustion chamber as a
single resonator subsequently a coupled system of a burner plenum and a combustion chamber were
investigated.In this paper the results of additional investigations of the single resonator are
presented.The flow in the combustion chamber was investigated without excitation at the inlet.It
was detected,that the mass flow rate at the outlet cross section is pulsating once the flow in the
chamber is turbulent.The fast Fourier transform of the signal showed that the dominant mode is at
the resonance frequency of the combustion chamber.This result sheds light on a very important
source of self-excited combustion instabilities.Furthermore the LES can provide not only the damping
ratio for the analytical model but the eigenfrequency of the resonator also.     

Large Eddy Simulation of combustion instabilities in a lean partially premixed swirled flame

This paper investigates one issue related to Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of self-excited combustion instabilities in gas-fueled swirled burners: the effects of incomplete mixing between fuel and air at the combustion chamber inlet. Perfect premixing of the gases entering the combustion chamber is rarely achieved in practical applications and this study investigates its impact by comparing LES assuming perfect premixing and LES where the fuel jets are resolved so that fuel/air mixing is explicitely computed. This work demonstrates that the perfect premixing assumption is reasonable for stable flows but is not acceptable to predict self-excited unstable cases. This is shown by comparing LES and experimental fields in terms of mean and RMS fields of temperature, species, velocities as well as mixture fraction pdfs and unsteady activity for two regimes: a stable one at equivalence ratio 0.83 and an unstable one at 0.7.     

Large eddy simulation of mean and oscillating flow in a side-dump ramjet combustor

Ramjet flows are very sensitive to combustion instabilities that are difficult to predict using numerical simulations. This paper describes compressible large eddy simulation on unstructured grids used to investigate nonreacting and reacting flows in a simplified twin-inlet ramjet combustor. The reacting flow is compared to experimental results published by ONERA in terms of mean fields. Simulations show a specific flow topology controlled by the impingement of the two air jets issuing from the twin air inlets and by multiple complex recirculation zones. In a second part, all unsteady modes appearing in the reacting LES are analyzed using spectral maps and POD (proper orthogonal decomposition) tools. A Helmholtz solver also computes the frequencies and structures of all acoustic modes in the ramjet. Pure longitudinal, transverse and combined modes are identified by all three diagnostics. In addition, a mode-by-mode analysis of the Rayleigh criterion is presented thanks to POD. This method shows that the most intense structure (at 3750 Hz) is the first transverse acoustic mode of the combustor chamber and the Rayleigh criterion obtained with POD illustrates how this transverse mode couples with unsteady combustion.     

Frequency evaluation of a gas‐fired pulse combustor

Theoretical study and experimental investigation of a Helmholtz‐type gas‐fired pulse combustor are presented. In this study, a mathematical model was developed to evaluate the operating frequency of the pulse combustor. A variety of experiments were also performed to prove the validation of theoretical frequency model and compare the theoretical frequency with the experimental one. In the experiments, the length and diameter of the tail pipe, the volume of the combustion chamber and the gas supply pressure of the combustor were changed within certain limits. In the experiments, related to tailpipe length, there was a perfect agreement between the tailpipe lengths of 1.2 and 1.6 m. As the theoretical frequency was compared with the experimental one, the maximum deviation was 5.8 Hz (1.25% errors). If the frequency comparisons related to the volume of the combustion chamber were taken into consideration, the calculated frequency and measured ones agreed very closely. In the volumes between 1/2 V_c and V_c, maximum deviation was 5.4 Hz (7.7% errors). In this study, a tunable pulse combustor, which is used for increasing the frequency of industrial processes, was also developed. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

旋流预混燃烧室燃烧特性研究

以某型燃烧室为研究对象,采用RANS(Reynolds average navier-stokes)和LES(large eddy simulation)两种方法进行数值模拟,并对两种数值方法的模拟结果进行了对比分析。研究结果表明,RANS的计算结果能够反应燃烧场中的主要流场特征,具有一定的工程意义。LES能够复现弱轴向流动区等具体的流场细节,对剪切层位置和强度模拟较准确,还能模拟火焰动态发展过程,捕捉燃烧流场动态特性。与RANS相比,在燃烧流场数值仿真方面,LES占据更明显的优势。经计算,该工况下进动涡核由三个相对独立的螺旋涡分支组成,在燃烧室激起周期性速度脉动和压力脉动,LES捕捉到进动涡核主频率为156 Hz。     

Rayleigh–Taylor instability: Modelling and effect on coherent deflagrations

The modelling of Rayleigh–Taylor instability during premixed combustion scenarios is presented. Experimental data obtained from experiments undertaken by FM Global using their large-scale vented deflagration chamber was used to develop the modelling approach. Rayleigh–Taylor instability is introduced as an additional time-dependent, combustion enhancing, mechanism. It is demonstrated that prior to the addition of this mechanism the LES deflagration model under-predicted the experimental pressure transients. It is confirmed that the instability plays a significant role throughout the coherent deflagration process. The addition of the mechanism led to the model more closely replicating the pressure peak associated with the external deflagration.     

A simple analytical model to study and control azimuthal instabilities in annular combustion chambers

This study describes a simple analytical method to compute the azimuthal modes appearing in annular combustion chambers and help analyzing experimental, acoustic and large eddy simulation (LES) data obtained in these combustion chambers. It is based on a one-dimensional zero Mach number formulation where N burners are connected to a single annular chamber. A manipulation of the corresponding acoustic equations in this configuration leads to a simple dispersion relation which can be solved by hand when the interaction indices of the flame transfer function are small and numerically when they are not. This simple tool is applied to multiple cases: (1) a single burner connected to an annular chamber (N = 1), (2) two burners connected to the chamber (N = 2), and (3) four burners (N = 4). In this case, the tool also allows to study passive control methods where two different types of burners are mixed to control the azimuthal mode. Finally, a complete helicopter chamber (N = 15) is studied. For all cases, the analytical results are compared to the predictions of a full three-dimensional Helmholtz solver and a very good agreement is found. These results show that building very simple analytical tools to study azimuthal modes in annular chambers is an interesting path to control them.     

部分预混旋流燃烧的大涡模拟

采用耦合涡耗散概念模型的大涡模拟方法,探究了Re和组分变化对部分预混旋流火焰动力学特性的影响。通过与实验结果定性和定量的比较,验证了大涡程序模拟燃烧过程的可靠性。计算结果显示Re的增加,会明显提高空-燃混合效率,从而导致部分预混火焰中预混燃烧模式的比例有所增加,且预混燃烧区域向上游移动,Re的增加也会使得火焰下游产生更多更快的涡破碎结构。N_2含量的增加,会减小流向回流区尺寸,降低空-燃混合效率,但对减小火焰温度具有明显效果,从而对降低NO_x排放产生积极作用。结论为进一步研究部分预混旋流燃烧室的不稳定性及燃烧效率提供了理论和方法上的指导。     

Assessing LES models based on tabulated chemistry for the simulation of Diesel spray combustion

In the context of large-eddy simulation (LES) of Diesel engine combustion, two LES combustion models are proposed. Their ability to predict autoignition delays and heat release of an autoigniting liquid α-methylnaphthalene/n-decane jet injected into a constant-volume chamber under Diesel-like conditions is assessed. These models retain the tabulation of a complex chemistry scheme using autoigniting homogeneous reactors (HR) at constant pressure. This allows accounting for the chemical complexity of heavy hydrocarbon fuels over the wide range of conditions representative for Diesel engines, at comparatively low CPU time overhead. The tabulated homogeneous reactor (THR) approach assumes the local structure of the reaction zone to be that of an HR, while the approximated diffusion flame (ADF) approach is based on autoigniting strained diffusion flames. Two variants of each approach are considered, either neglecting sub-grid-scale mixture fraction variance (THR and ADF models), or accounting for it via a presumed β-PDF (THR-pdf and ADF–PCM models). LES results indicate that the ADF model assuming diffusion flame structures tends to predict faster propagation of the combustion toward less reactive mixture fractions then the THR model. Moreover, neglecting the mixture fraction fluctuations strongly overestimates initial experimental heat release rates after autoignition. Comparison between models shows that this assumption yields higher reaction rates and temperature levels close to the stoichiometric mixture fraction zones. Predictions in terms of autoignition are remarkably close with all models, and exhibit very few variations from one realization to the other. Variations in global heat release rate become more apparent for different realizations at later instants, in relation to the interaction of large flow scales with combustion.     

基于RANS和LES的汽油、柴油及其掺混燃料压燃燃烧特性数值模拟研究

研究中首先采用RANS和LES两种湍流模型对汽油、柴油及汽柴油掺混燃料的喷雾进行了气液相贯穿距的标定。基于标定好的喷雾模型,采用RANS与LES对3种燃料在发动机中的燃烧过程开展了数值模拟研究。通过对比RANS与LES对部分预混燃烧数值模拟的差异,揭示了两种湍流模型对缸内流动、燃料输运及燃烧过程的影响机理。结果表明,RANS与LES都能够对柴油及掺混燃料的燃烧过程实现较好的预测,其中LES对汽油部分预混燃烧中滞燃期及放热规律的预测与试验更为接近。同时,LES对3种燃料NOx排放的计算结果都与试验更加接近,这与燃料在缸内放热的位置密切相关。     

增压锅炉烟气发生器燃烧流场数值模拟与结构优化

本文采用数值模拟方法,对增压锅炉烟气发生器设计结构方案的燃烧流场进行数值分析,分析内部的流动规律以及原始设计中存在的问题。通过改进烟气发生器的几何结构,得出更加合理的流场分布,从而指导它的结构优化设计。数值计算结果表明,所采取的改进措施的效果明显,达到了优化增压锅炉烟气发生器燃烧段设计方案的主要目的。     

燃烧室形状对柴油机性能影响的研究

为研究混合气的形成状况和燃烧质量，探索燃烧室形状对柴油机性能的影响，本文应用STAR—CD程序对不同几何形状的燃烧室内的燃油雾化、燃烧进行三雏数值模拟。计算结果表明，燃烧室的形状对燃烧过程有着重要影响。缩口燃烧室具有较大的挤流强度，较长的涡流持续期，较合理的涡流分布，更有利于混合气的形成，可以进一步加速扩散燃烧，产生较高的缸内压力和温度，具有最好的燃烧性能。直口燃烧室燃烧性能相对较差，敞口燃烧室的最差。但是缩口燃烧室的热应力较大，残余废气不易排除，实现增压比较困难。     

Vented explosion overpressures from combustion of hydrogen and hydrocarbon mixtures

Experimental data obtained for hydrogen mixtures in a room-size enclosure are presented and compared with data for propane and methane mixtures. This set of data was also used to develop a three-dimensional gasdynamic model for the simulation of gaseous combustion in vented enclosures. The experiments were performed in a 64 m³ chamber with dimensions of 4.6 × 4.6 × 3.0 m and a vent opening on one side and vent areas of either 2.7 or 5.4 m² were used. Tests were performed for three ignition locations, at the wall opposite the vent, at the center of the chamber or at the center of the wall containing the vent. Hydrogen-air mixtures with concentrations close 18% vol. were compared with stoichiometric propane-air and methane-air mixtures. Pressure data, as function of time, and flame time-of-arrival data were obtained both inside and outside the chamber near the vent. Modeling was based on a Large Eddy Simulation (LES) solver created using the OpenFOAM CFD toolbox using sub-grid turbulence and flame wrinkling models. A comparison of these simulations with experimental data is discussed.     

A general flamelet transformation useful for distinguishing between premixed and non-premixed modes of combustion

The flame index was originally proposed by Yamashita et al. as a method of locally distinguishing between premixed and non-premixed combustion. Although this index has been applied both passively in the analysis of direct numerical simulation data, and actively using single step combustion models, certain limitations restrict its use in more detailed combustion models. In this work a general flamelet transformation that holds in the limits of both premixed and non-premixed combustion is developed. This transformation makes use of two statistically independent variables: a mixture fraction and a reaction progress parameter. The transformation is used to produce a model for distinguishing between premixed and non-premixed combustion regimes. The new model locally examines the term budget of the general flamelet transformation. The magnitudes of each of the terms in the budget are calculated and compared to the chemical source term. Determining whether a flame burns in a premixed or a non-premixed regime then amounts to determining which sets of these terms most significantly contribute to balancing the source term. The model is tested in a numerical simulation of a laminar triple flame, and is compared to a recent manifestation of the flame index approach. Additionally, the model is applied in a presumed probability density function (PDF) large eddy simulation (LES) of a lean premixed swirl burner. The model is used to locally select whether tabulated premixed or tabulated non-premixed chemistry should be referenced in the LES. Results from the LES are compared to experiments.     

用二阶矩亚网格尺度燃烧模型对丙烷-空气旋流扩散燃烧的大涡模拟

用二阶矩(SOM)亚网格尺度燃烧模型对环缝进燃料的丙烷-空气旋流湍流扩散燃烧进行了大涡模拟(LES).模拟得到统计平均的热态3个方向的速度、湍流度、温度、丙烷、氧和CO2浓度分布,其值与实验数据符合很好.结果表明,二阶矩(SOM)亚网格尺度燃烧模型适用于大涡模拟.环缝进气使湍流脉动强度、各向异性程度和温度分布趋于均匀.     

Measurements and LES calculations of turbulent premixed flame propagation past repeated obstacles

Measurements and Large Eddy Simulations (LES) have been carried out for a turbulent premixed flame propagating past solid obstacles in a laboratory scale combustion chamber. The mixture used is a stoichiometric propane/air mixture, ignited from rest. A wide range of flow configurations are studied. The configurations vary in terms of the number and position of the built-in solid obstructions. The main aim of the present study is two folded. First, to validate a newly developed dynamic flame surface density (DFSD) model over a wide range of flow conditions. Second, to provide repeatable measurements of the flow and combustion in a well-controlled combustion chamber. A total of four groups are derived for qualitative and quantitative comparisons between predicted results and experimental measurements. The concept of groups offers better understanding of the flame–flow interactions and the impact of number and position of the solid baffle plates with respect to the ignition source. Results are presented and discussed for the flame structure, position, speed and accelerations at different times after ignitions. The pressure–time histories are also presented together with the regimes of combustion for all flow configurations during the course of flame propagation.     

甲烷预混多喷嘴阵列燃烧器热声振荡模态实验研究

为研究燃气轮机模型燃烧室的非预混燃烧流场,采用大涡模拟方法分别结合火焰面生成流形模型（FGM）和部分预混稳态火焰面模型（PSFM）对甲烷/空气同轴射流非预混燃烧室开展了数值模拟研究,并与试验结果进行对比。结果表明：FGM所预测的速度分布、混合分数分布、燃烧产物及CO分布与试验结果更符合;两种模型均能捕捉到燃烧室中的火焰抬举现象;燃烧过程中的火焰结构较为复杂,同时存在预混燃烧区域和扩散燃烧区域,扩散燃烧主要分布在化学恰当比等值线附近,预混燃烧区域主要分布在贫油区。     

Large Eddy Simulations of gaseous flames in gas turbine combustion chambers

Recent developments in numerical schemes, turbulent combustion models and the regular increase of computing power allow Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to be applied to real industrial burners. In this paper, two types of LES in complex geometry combustors and of specific interest for aeronautical gas turbine burners are reviewed: (1) laboratory-scale combustors, without compressor or turbine, in which advanced measurements are possible and (2) combustion chambers of existing engines operated in realistic operating conditions. Laboratory-scale burners are designed to assess modeling and fundamental flow aspects in controlled configurations. They are necessary to gauge LES strategies and identify potential limitations. In specific circumstances, they even offer near model-free or DNS-like LES computations. LES in real engines illustrate the potential of the approach in the context of industrial burners but are more difficult to validate due to the limited set of available measurements. Usual approaches for turbulence and combustion sub-grid models including chemistry modeling are first recalled. Limiting cases and range of validity of the models are specifically recalled before a discussion on the numerical breakthrough which have allowed LES to be applied to these complex cases. Specific issues linked to real gas turbine chambers are discussed: multi-perforation, complex acoustic impedances at inlet and outlet, annular chambers…. Examples are provided for mean flow predictions (velocity, temperature and species) as well as unsteady mechanisms (quenching, ignition, combustion instabilities). Finally, potential perspectives are proposed to further improve the use of LES for real gas turbine combustor designs.