Power generation research partnerships
Modern engines typically operate over a wide range of operating conditions leading to different combustion modes from premixed (fuel and oxidizer are completely mixed before entering the combustion chamber), non-premixed (fuel and oxidizer enter the combustion chamber in different separate streams) and partially-premixed (some mixing between fuel and oxidizer has started to take place before combustion occurs), also resulting in different ratios of turbulence to chemistry length/time scales.
Image: Instantaneous methane reaction rates for the Delft-Jet-in-Hot-Coflow (DJHC)-I 8800 flame on the centreplane using LES-DCSE
We have made the significant achievement of demonstrating that our newly derived turbulent combustion model, Conditional Source term Estimation (CSE), could be applied to realistic conditions including the effects of finite-rate chemistry. Our developments and simulations are available in both Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equation (RANS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES) codes for fully premixed, stratified (premixed flame propagation in a reactive mixture of varying equivalence ratios), non-premixed and partially-premixed turbulent combustion with good predictions for the main variables
(temperature and species concentrations) compared to available experimental data. Flame stabilization in turbulent lifted flames (in cold air) was accurately reproduced in RANS and LES for the first time. Fuel flexibility is also an important variable in the design and operation of engines for the purpose of power generation. Fuel blends of interest for industrial applications are fuel mixtures composed of H2, CO and CO2 with methane, commonly found in syngas or fuel mixed with hot recirculation products. The fuel mixture affects the combustion characteristics for efficiency, flame stability and atmospheric emissions. Our lab has also been investigating turbulent combustion problems with different fuels. Some of our projects include:
- Investigation of flame stabilization using Doubly Conditional Source term Estimation (CSE) in both RANS and LES
- Detailed numerical simulations of methanol turbulent flames
Image: Instantaneous temperatures for the Delft-Jet-in-Hot-Coflow (DJHC)-I 8800 flame on the centreplane using LES-DCSE
Thank you to our power generation research partners
These case studies are only several of our projects. There are many more types of opportunities and case studies. If you'd like to discuss partnering or sponsoring a research project in Turbulent Combustion Modeling or would like more details: