Numerical Simulations Of Two-Phase Reacting Flow In A Cavity Combustor

Abstract

In the present work, two phase reacting flow in a single cavity Trapped Vortex Combustor (TVC) is studied at atmospheric conditions. KIVA-3V, numerical program for simulating three dimensional compressible reacting flows with sprays using Lagrangian-Drop Eulerian-fluid procedure is used. The stochastic discrete droplet model is used for simulating the liquid spray. In each computational cell, it is assumed that the volume occupied by the liquid phase is very small. But this assumption of very low liquid volume fraction in a computational cell is violated in the region close to the injection nozzle. This introduces grid dependence in predictions of liquid phase in the region close to the nozzle in droplet collision algorithm, and in momentum coupling between the liquid and the gas phase. Improvements are identified to reduce grid dependence of these algorithms and corresponding changes are made in the standard KIVA-3V models. Pressure swirl injector which produces hollow cone spray is used in the current study along with kerosene as the liquid fuel. Modifications needed for modelling pressure swirl atomiser are implemented. The Taylor Analogy Breakup (TAB) model, the standard model for predicting secondary breakup is improved with modifications required for low pressure injectors. The pressure swirl injector model along with the improvements is validated using experimental data for kerosene spray from the literature. Simulations of two phase reacting flow in a single cavity TVC are performed and the temperature distribution within the combustor is studied. In order to identify an optimum configuration with liquid fuel combustion, the following parameters related to fuel and air such as cavity fuel injection location, cavity air injection location, Sauter Mean Diameter (SMD) of injected fuel droplets, velocity of the fuel injected are studied in detail in order to understand the effect of these parameters on combustion characteristics of a single cavity TVC.