LES of Multiphase Reacting Flows in PW Combustors
A multi-scale, multi-physics simulation of turbulent reacting flow in a realistic Pratt & Whitney combustor is performed. This simulation includes all the complex models for spray breakup, evaporation, and turbulent combustion and represents the first study of the reacting multiphase flow in complex combustor geometry using CDP.
The simulation is performed for a single injector, which represents one sector of the full combustor containing 18 injectors. Liquid fuel (Jet-A) enters the combustion chamber through an annular ring at the injector exit. This liquid film is approximated by large drops of the size of the annulus radius. The drops are convected by the surrounding hot air, they break, evaporate, and the fuel vapor thus formed mixes with the surrounding air giving a non-premixed spray flame. Overall comparisons of mass-flow splits, exit temperature profiles are in agreement with the experimental data.
Ham, F., Apte, S.V., Iaccarino, G., Constantinescu, G., Mahesh, K., Moin, P., “Unstructured LES of reacting multiphase flows in realistic gas-turbine combustors,” Annual Research Briefs, Center for Turbulence Research, 2003.