Basics of Computational Combustion Modelling · Combustion of hydrocarbons – important fuel...

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Basics of ComputationalCombustion Modelling

Dr. Gavin Tabor

Combustion – p.1

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Why study Combustion?

Combustion of hydrocarbons – important fuel source• Power generation• Aircraft, rocket propulsion• Cars etc• Marine applications

Combustion – rapid chemical reaction between fueland oxidant (air). Usually involves fluid flow.

Understand + model processes → improve powergeneration, decrease polutants.

Combustion – p.2

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Physical basis

Complex area of investigation :• Combustion affects fluid flow. Heat release→ ∆T → change physical properties. Alsobuoyancy drives flow

• Fluid flow affects combustion. Brings reactantstogether, removes products. Can determinerate of combustion, and even extinguish flame.

Overall, combustion ≡ rapid chemical reactionbetween fuel and oxidiser.

However details vary – treat different regimesdifferently.

Combustion – p.3

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Combusion regimes

• Non-premixed combustion• Regions of fuel + oxidiser separate,• Combustion occurs at interface

• Premixed combustion• Fuel and oxidiser mixed at molecular level• Regions of burned and unburned gas,

separated by (thin) flame• Partially premixed combustion

• somewhere between

Combustion – p.4

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Some examples

Premixed :• Spark ignition (IC) petrol engines• Lean burn gas turbines• Household burners• Bunsen burner (blue flame regime)

Partially premixed :• Direct injection (DI) petrol engines• Aircraft gas turbines

Combustion – p.5

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Examples – non-premixed

Non-premixed :• Diesel engines• Aircraft gas turbines• Furnaces• Candles, fires

Combustion – p.6

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Flame structure

Premixed combustion

– Flame propagating in laminar flow is characterisedby :

Laminar flame speed sL,

thickness lF

Combustion rate controlled by molecular diffusionprocesses (DL – diffusivity)

Combustion – p.7

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Chemistry

Dimensional analysis gives :

lF =DL

sL

linking these processes.

Chemical reaction time

tL =lFsL

Combustion – p.8

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Turbulent flame structure

This is more complex. Turbulence characterised by

turbulence intensity u′

Integral, Kolmogorov scales lI , η

Turbulent Reynolds number ReT =u′lIν

Characteristic turbulent eddy turnover time

tT =lIu′

Combustion – p.9

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Damköhler number

Compare importance of turbulence and combustion –Damköhler number

Da =tTtL

=lIsLu′lF

• ratio of eddy turnover time to burning• effect of turbulence on chemical processes

Other measures :

lF /η Measure of local distortion of the flame

u′/sL Relative strength of turbulence.

Combustion – p.10

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Flame structure

In more detail, 3 regions :

Oxidant

Fuel

T

PreheatZone

InnerLayer

OxidationLayer

Flame Propagation

Combustion – p.11

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Flame structure

1. a preheat zone,

2. an inner layer of fuel consumption,

3. the oxidation layer.

Thickness of the inner layer

lδ = lF δ

For stoichoimetric methane at 1 atmosphere,

lF = 0.175 mm and δ = 0.1

Combustion – p.12

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Non-premixed combustion

• No obvious characteristic velocity scale• Define a characteristic diffusion thickness lD• Flame still divided into fuel consumption and

oxidation layers• Oxidation layer

lε = εlD

of more importance.

Combustion – p.13

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Modelling – direct approach

We can approach the problem in a simple way :• Combustion ≡ chemical reaction process

combining reactants to form products• Write balance equations for species• Solve together with continuity and momentum

equations

Combustion – p.14

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Mass fraction

Define Mass fraction Yi

– the mass of the species per unit massof the mixture.

Transport equation

∂ρYi∂t

+ ∇.ρYiu = ∇.ρDi∇Yi + ρSi

Source term represents addition/removal due tocombustion

Combustion – p.15

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Temperature equation

Also need transport equation for some measureof the energy – say temperature T .

∂ρT

∂t+ ∇.ρTu = ∇.ρD∇T + ρST

Source term represents radiation, pressure work,energy release.

Combustion – p.16

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Reactive scalars

Often group everything together as“reactive scalars”

ψi = {Y1, Y2, . . . , Yn, T}

with transport equation

∂ρψi∂t

+ ∇.ρψiu = ∇.ρDi∇ψi + ρSψi

Combustion – p.17

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Problems

Problems with this approach :

1. n often quite large!Elementary reaction mechanisms – detail 100’s ofreactions for combustion process. InvokeQSSA to reduce to manageable proportions(1-5).

2. Turbulence still unaccounted for!!Turbulence – introduces too many details tocalculate. Use Reynolds averaging to eliminatedetails, replace by a model.

Combustion – p.18

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Moment methods

Turbulence modelling – replace ‘small scale’ detailof turbulence with (cheaper) turbulence model.

Similar process used in combustion modelling –average to remove details, then substitute a model.

Density of fluid variable ⇒ use Favre averaging.

ux(x, t) = ux + u′′x

Here

ρux = 0 and thus ux =ρuxρ

Combustion – p.19

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Favre averaging

Useful for modelling when density varies : NSEcontain terms such as

ρuxuy

Using Favre averaging this becomes

ρuxuy = ρuxuy + ρu′′xu′′

y

Use this to derive mean flow equations(Favre-averaged NSE) and equations for k and ε– a turbulence model for compressible flow.

Combustion – p.20

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Moment methods cont.

Favre averaged equation for reactive scalars :

∂ρψi∂t

+ ∇.ρψiu = ∇.ρDi∇ψi −∇.ρu′′ψ′′

i + ρSψi

High Re, so molecular diffusivity D can be ignored.Two terms cause problems :

−∇.ρu′′ψ′′

i representing turbulent transport

and

ρSψithe mean chemical source term

Combustion – p.21

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Specific models

Different combustion models arrise from differentapproaches to these terms – range from cheap andinaccurate to precise and expensive.

E.g. Eddy Breakup Model – Spalding (1971)• assumes turbulent mixing determines chemical

reaction rate• gives simple model for chemical source term• combine with k − ε model for turbulence• cheap to compute. Requires extensive tuning.

Combustion – p.22

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PDF Transport

Probability Distribution Function methods• turbulence can be described/modelled in

terms of correlation functions• turbulent processes – combustion – can also be

described/modelled in terms of correlations• joint PDF of velocity and reactive scalars

P (u, ψ;x, t)

• Potentially more accurate. Also very expensive.

Combustion – p.23

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Flamelet methods

Main alternative methodology.

High Re,Da ⇒ flame fronts very thin – consideras 2d sheet which :

• separates burnt and unburnt gas (premixedcombustion)

• separates fuel and air (non-premixed)• is distorted by mean flow and by turbulence• propagates by burning.

Location of flame sheet specified by indicator function.

Combustion – p.24

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Indicator function

Premixed combustion : progress variable

c =T − TuTb − Tu

or c =YPYP,b

0 < c < 1 : 1 represents burned gas, 0 unburned.

Some intermediate value represents flame centre.

Combustion – p.25

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1-d representation

Plotting c across the flame :

c

c = 0.5 = flame centre

0

1

BurnedUnburned

Combustion – p.26

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Flame wrinking

Flame will be wrinkled by turbulence on scales toosmall to simulate

Combustion – p.27

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Averaging

Average equation

∂ρc

∂t+ ∇.ρcu = −∇.ρu′′c′′ + ρSc

Need to model :

u′′c′′turbulent transport term

Sc reaction term

– but now have a manageable set of equations.

Combustion – p.28

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Other models

Other versions• flame surface density Σ

• G-equation• Non-premixed combustion

– use mixture fraction Z.

Combustion – p.29

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Counter-gradient transport

Final note : modelling of u′′c′′ often uses gradienttransport assumption

u′′c′′ = −Dt∇c

However this is frequently wrong – counter-gradienttransport.

Combustion – p.30

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