SIMULATION OF GASEOUS COMBUSTION AND HEAT TRANSFER IN A VORTEX COMBUSTOR

Abstract

This article presents the numerical simulation of gaseous combustion and heat transfer in a novel vortex combustor (VC) recently developed for commercial heating applications. A new algebraic Reynolds stress model for strongly swirling turbulence, the eddy break up model for turbulent combustion, and the four-heat-flux model for thermal radiation were employed in the present calculations. Different thermal boundary conditions were specified on the combustor walls. The calculations were conducted on a 22-cm ID VC firing gaseous fuel at 58-, 41-, and 38-kW thermal inputs. Detailed effects of firing rate on the gas axial and tangential velocities, streamlines, temperature, species mass concentrations and wall heat removal are presented, from which the distinct features of the VC flow, combustion, and heat transfer are delineated.

Notes

Address correspondence to Dr. Jian Zhang, Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, P.R. China.