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At least 271 records · Page 15

Analysis of ducted fuel injection at high-pressure transcritical conditions using large-eddy simulations

Ducted fuel injection (DFI) is a proposed fuel injection concept for achieving substantial reductions in emissions. In this concept, the fuel is injected through a coannular duct, resulting in increased fuel-air mixing and minimized formation of soot and other unwanted combustion products. Apart from comprehensive experimental investigations on DFI, so far computational studies have been limited to single-point Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes simulations. Therefore, the objective of this work is to complement these studies by performing large-eddy simulations using a diffuse-interface method to examine the physical mechanisms and combustion processes of DFI, specifically focusing on the mixing process and the effect of fuel-ducting on combustion and pollutant emissions. To this end, finite-rate chemistry simulations are performed of the DFI configuration corresponding to the Engine Combustion Network Spray A injector at transcritical conditions (n-dodecane fuel, 60 bar pressure and 1000 K temperature chamber conditions). A two-equation soot model is employed for the qualitative analysis of soot emissions. Direct comparisons of averaged and instantaneous flow field results with the Spray A configuration are performed to assess the effect of DFI on the first- and second-stage ignition and soot formation. Compared to the free-spray condition, the results show that the DFI case exhibits a combination of (i) increased mass flow rate and entrained air, (ii) larger pressure drop magnitude and flow velocity, and (iii) a closer-to-stoichiometric mixture composition (both globally and locally), each of which is conjectured to contribute toward reduced soot production.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Hydrogen Storage for Load-Following and Clean Power: Duct-firing of Hydrogen to Improve the Capacity Factor of NGCC Plants (Final Report, Phase II Pre-Front End Engineering Design Study)

GTI Energy (GTI) and team members Southern Company Services (SCS), Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E) and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) performed a Phase II Pre-Feed Study under contract DE-FE0032008 for Hydrogen Storage for Load-Following and Clean Power. The configuration of the proposed system consists of subsystems for on-site H 2 production, on-site H 2 storage (up to 54 MWth in commercial vessels) and H 2 combustion in a duct burner in a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) integrated with an existing fossil asset. Here, the firing rate of the duct burner is varied to let the plant respond to fluctuations of electrical load and H 2 production is relatively constant by storing H 2 . The proposed system is an improvement over alternate low carbon dispatchable power options. Technoeconomic analyses show H 2 produced with GTI’s patented Compact Hydrogen Generator (CHG) with inherent carbon capture will be lower cost (Levelized Cost of Hydrogen, LCOH) relative to hydrogen produced with a Steam Methane Reformer (SMR) with an amine system for carbon capture. This lower cost hydrogen enables our integrated system to deliver electricity (Levelized Cost of Electricity, LCOE) at 17.4% lower cost relative to a SMR sourced H 2 -fired HRSG (with an amine system for carbon capture) – Steam Turbine Generator (STG). Our analysis using EPRI’s US REGEN macroeconomic model shows our system will have significant demand in the power market and therefore require significant capacity expansion (CHG plants built to deliver hydrogen) to deliver low cost, low carbon power. In Phase II, our Team has completed a detailed system definition including the development of process models, definition of battery limits, Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs), Piping and Instrumentation Drawings (P&IDs), and a plant layout. A preliminary design for the key components of the CHG was developed including component lists & specifications. An evaluation of environmental and permitting considerations was completed and included the development of an Environmental Information Volume (EIV). The duct burners, which are flexible and can burn hydrogen and/or natural gas, were defined and initial CFD analyses were completed.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Source Diagnostic Fan II (22-inch) Duct Mode Characteristics as Measured by the Rotating Rake Mode Measurement System while Operated in the NASA Glenn 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel

The second entry of the Source Diagnostic Test (SDT2) was a continuation of the first SDT entry with additional parameters tested. The rotor, stators, and general flow path hardware used in SDT2 were the same as those for SDT1. This included a radial baseline set of stator vanes, which had a vane count such that the rotor-stator interaction at the fan blade passing fundamental was cut-off, as is typical for modern turbofans. Two sets of stator vanes were designed and tested with a count generating a cut-on rotor-stator interaction at the fan blade passing fundamental. One of the sets maintained the no aerodynamic sweep as the radial baseline, the other was designed with leading edge sweep with the intent to generate lower noise. The NASA Glenn Research Center’s Rotating Rake Mode Measurement System was utilized to obtain a complete map of the acoustic duct modes present. The system is a radial rake immersed into the duct that continuously rotates about the duct centerline. For each of the three stator vane configurations, data were acquired at several different fan speeds which included nominal, approach, cutback, and takeoff conditions. Analysis of the mode power level results at the fan fundamentals showed the improved designed set resulted in lower rotor-stator interaction mode acoustic levels. Multiple-pure tones generated by the M5 rotor in the inlet were also measured.

Turbofan, Duct Modes↗

Source Diagnostic Fan II (22-inch) Duct Mode Characteristics as Measured by the Rotating Rake Mode Measurement System while Operated in the NASA Glenn 9x15 Low Speed Wind Tunnel

The second entry of the Source Diagnostic Test (SDT2) was a continuation of the first SDT entry with additional parameters tested. The rotor, stators, and general flow path hardware used in SDT2 were the same as those for SDT1. This included a radial baseline set of stator vanes, which had a vane count such that the rotor-stator interaction at the fan blade passing fundamental was cut-off, as is typical for modern turbofans. Two sets of stator vanes were designed and tested with a count generating a cut-on rotor-stator interaction at the fan blade passing fundamental. One of the sets maintained the no aerodynamic sweep as the radial baseline, the other was designed with leading edge sweep with the intent to generate lower noise. The NASA Glenn Research Center’s Rotating Rake Mode Measurement System was utilized to obtain a complete map of the acoustic duct modes present. The system is a radial rake emersed into the duct that continuously rotates about the duct centerline. For each of the three stator vane configurations, data were acquired at several different fan speeds which included nominal, approach, cutback, and takeoff conditions. Analysis of the mode power level results at the fan fundamentals showed the improved designed set resulted in lower rotor-stator interaction mode acoustic levels. Multiple-pure tones generated by the M5 rotor in the inlet were also measured.

Turbofan↗

Acoustic Mode Decomposition in Rectangular Ducts with Sheared Flow

The performance of new acoustic liner concepts are, in general, characterized and assessed in grazing flow rigs early in the development cycle. These test rigs expose an acoustic liner sample, installed on the side wall of the duct, to a grazing flow and incident acoustic field. The process to characterize these liners involves educing the impedance on the wall where the sample is installed and examining the acoustic power attenuation. Standard approaches to computing impedance or power attenuation generally consider only the effects of a 2D shear flow or uniform flow, on the acoustic field. In this study, the objective is to incorporate 3D shear flow effects in the analysis of acoustic mode attenuation in a rectangular duct flow rig. A modal analysis of microphone measurements obtained on the side walls of the duct upstream and downstream of the test section of the rig is developed. A Galerkin projection of the Pridmore-Brown equation is performed with Chebyshev basis functions in order to incorporate the effects of the Mach number profile on the computation of the axial wavenumber of each mode. Measurements of the Mach number profile are obtained in the test rig and used as input to compute the modes. Comparisons made between the sound field computed with traditional convective Helmholtz modes and the new procedure using Pridmore-Brown modes indicate that the computed acoustic field using Pridmore-Brown modes more accurately reconstructs the acoustic signal at each microphone in the array. The mode structure of the lowest-order mode is shown to be significantly impacted by shear flow refraction effects, and higher-order mode structures are also affected at higher frequencies and centerline Mach number. An assessment of the acoustic mode attenuation for two acoustic liner samples demonstrates that the computed mode amplitudes for both the traditional and new approach are in agreement for the lowest-order mode, but discrepancies arise when higher-order modes are the dominant component of the acoustic field.

Duct acoustics↗

Acoustic Mode Decomposition in Rectangular Ducts with Sheared Flow

The performance of new acoustic liner concepts are, in general, characterized and assessed in grazing flow rigs early in the development cycle. These test rigs expose an acoustic liner sample, installed on the side wall of the duct, to a grazing flow and incident acoustic field. The process to characterize these liners involves educing the impedance on the wall where the sample is installed and examining the acoustic power attenuation. Standard approaches to computing impedance or power attenuation generally consider only the effects of a 2D shear flow or uniform flow, on the acoustic field. In this study, the objective is to incorporate 3D shear flow effects in the analysis of acoustic mode attenuation in a rectangular duct flow rig. A modal analysis of microphone measurements obtained on the side walls of the duct upstream and downstream of the test section of the rig is developed. A Galerkin projection of the Pridmore-Brown equation is performed with Chebyshev basis functions in order to incorporate the effects of the Mach number profile on the computation of the axial wavenumber of each mode. Measurements of the Mach number profile are obtained in the test rig and used as input to compute the modes. Comparisons made between the sound field computed with traditional convective Helmholtz modes and the new procedure using Pridmore-Brown modes indicate that the computed acoustic field using Pridmore-Brown modes more accurately reconstruct the acoustic signals at each microphone in the array. The mode structure of the lowest order mode is shown to be significantly impacted by shear flow refraction effects, and higher order mode structures are also effected at higher frequencies and centerline Mach number. An assessment of the acoustic mode attenuation for two acoustic liner samples demonstrates that the computed mode amplitudes for both the traditional and new approach are in agreement for the lowest order mode, but discrepancies arise when higher order modes are the dominant component of the acoustic field.

Duct acoustics↗

3D modelling of MHD mixed convection flow in a vertical duct with transverse magnetic field and volumetric or surface heating

Understanding phenomena associated with the multiple effects/interactions of the fusion nuclear environment on liquid metal flow is required to correctly design liquid metal (LM) blankets for fusion facilities. These effects are investigated in the present work by numerically simulating 3D LM MHD flow. The simulated geometry consists of a straight, vertical duct which runs perpendicular to a strong, fringing applied magnetic field. There is also a region of applied heating as the primary goal is to explore buoyancy effects in MHD duct flows. Results are presented for both buoyancy assisted (upwards) and buoyancy opposed (downwards) flows in conducting and insulating ducts for a range of Hartmann numbers (Ha) up to 100, Reynolds numbers (Re) from 10 3 to 10 4 and Grashof (Gr) numbers from 10 7 to 10 8 . While increasing Gr or decreasing Re increases buoyancy effects, increasing Ha was shown to increase maximum temperature through turbulence reduction. The extent to which the MHD mixed convection flows are quasi-2D is analyzed and buoyant effects, in competition with electromagnetic forces, are shown to bring about 3D flow features not seen in purely MHD flows. Volumetric nuclear heating with steep gradients is applied to the vertical MHD flows for comparison to flows with surface heating only. Finally, surface heating generates stronger buoyancy effects than volumetric heating of the same total power; however, many of the same phenomena occur. Therefore, surface heating, the only option for lab experiments, can provide indication of the effects of volumetric heating in MHD flows.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Temperature statistics in a radiatively heated particle-laden turbulent square duct flow

Radiation absorption by preferentially concentrated particles in a turbulent square duct flow is studied experimentally. The particle-laden flow is exposed to near-infrared radiation, and the gas phase temperature statistics are measured along the wall bisector of the duct. It is found that the instantaneous temperature fluctuations are comparable to the overall mean temperature rise. The temperature statistics at the duct centerline and near the wall are qualitatively different. The former reflects preferential concentration in isotropic flows while the latter displays evidence of particle clustering into streamwise elongated streaks. Comparison of the experimental data to a simplified heat transfer model suggests that the Lagrangian evolution of particle clusters and voids, and turbulent mixing in the vicinity of particle clusters, are important. This work was motivated by particle solar receiver technology, but the findings are also relevant to systems where there is localized heat release or mass transfer from disperse particles or droplets. It shows that obtaining Lagrangian histories of particle trajectories is an important next step towards understanding thermal transport phenomena in particle-laden turbulent flows.

42 ENGINEERING↗

Tensile properties of the neutron irradiated HT-9 ACO-3 duct

HT-9, a ferritic-Martensitic steel, has attracted significant interest as a structural and cladding material for a variety of high dose nuclear component applications. This study examines the tensile properties of a HT-9 fuel assembly duct from the fast flux test facility, FFTF. The duct, from the Advanced Core Oxide-3 (ACO-3) irradiation test, was subjected to fast neutron irradiation exposure ranging from 3 dpa above the core top to nearly 155 dpa near the core mid-plane, spanning a temperature range from 382 °C at the lower end to 504 °C at the top. Due to the combination of thermal and neutron flux gradients along the core height. This yields a variety of irradiation damage processes which depend on core location. Tensile properties of specimens extracted at different positions along the height of the irradiated duct were measured at 25 °C, 200 °C and near their in-core irradiation temperature. The results show temperature has a greater impact than dose on post-irradiation strength and ductility. Two irradiation temperature regimes were determined, below irradiation temperatures of 420 °C irradiation hardening increases as irradiation temperature decreases, and above that temperature relatively minor changes are observed in tensile properties. These results are discussed in terms of expected microstructural changes, indicating that dislocation content is a strong contributor in these findings.

11 NUCLEAR FUEL CYCLE AND FUEL MATERIALS↗

Ducted Assembly Steady-State Heat Transfer Software (DASSH): Theory Manual

The Ducted Assembly Steady-State Heat transfer software (DASSH) is being developed at Argonne National Laboratory to obtain a steady-state thermal fluids result for the coolant flow and temperature distribution in a hexagonally gridded reactor core with ducted assemblies. In DASSH, each assembly is assumed to contain a hexagonal bundle of wire-wrapped pins. DASSH divides the coolant in the pin bundle into subchannels on which it applies energy balances to determine coolant and duct temperatures. DASSH offers multiple models for inter assembly heat transfer and features the ability to calculate pin temperatures. This document describes the models and equations implemented in DASSH. It includes a description of the geometric system to which the models are applied and a derivation of the subchannel energy balance formulation is presented. It also reviews the available correlations and provides an overview of the process by which power distributions are generated. Finally, it covers the code execution procedure, discussing the main code objects and their interactions.

22 GENERAL STUDIES OF NUCLEAR REACTORS↗

Hydrogen Storage for Load-Following and Clean Power: Duct-firing of Hydrogen to Improve the Capacity Factor of NGCC Plants (Final Report, Phase I Conceptual Study)

The 12-month Feasibility study in Phase I study was completed and confirmed the system is feasible and the proposed system is an improvement over alternate low carbon dispatchable power options. Our demonstration will include 54 MWh of hydrogen storage. CO 2 capture inherent to the CHG process can capture 90% of the CO 2 (with upgrades to >98%) in a commercial system (~300 MWth) for sequestration or other uses. The hydrogen will be utilized in a duct burner in a Heat Recovery Steam Generator (HRSG) integrated with the existing Southern Company fossil asset. Here, the firing rate of the duct burner is varied to let the plant respond to fluctuations of electrical load. However, H 2 production is relatively constant by storing H 2 , and revenues are improved by arbitrage between use of low-cost off-peak variable electricity generation or use of stored H 2 under peak demand. The study enabled the fidelity of the concept to be improved and allowed identification of the requirements for the system. Defining the individual system and component requirements was performed via system requirements review with the whole team. These requirements were then incorporated into/iterated with our Heat & Mass Balance models and process flow diagrams were generated to reflect the overall system. This information was then used to complete the TEA and show economic feasibility. Our system generates power at 17.4% lower cost than other low carbon approaches for the H 2 generation, H 2 compression and storage, carbon sequestration, and HRSG added electricity production for a large-scale duct-fired system. Our team recommends completing the Phase II Pre-FEED study for the proposed system as the next step for the project and its tasks will achieve the overall objective and be ready to launch the FEED. The Pre-FEED tasks include updating the requirements, Concept of Operations, plant scope/process description, component modeling, system modeling, performance estimates, emission estimates, block flow diagrams, fluid/process conditions (PFD), utility usage, and facility sizing/definition. The approach will be to complete these updates in a greater level of detail for the selected site. The approach for developing the EIV is to use the updated results, including model outputs, for carbon dioxide and waste streams.

03 NATURAL GAS↗

Summary of Stack Tests at TA-16-Bldg 205: Horizontal Duct on WETF Roof

In late 2023 and early 2024, testing was done at the Weapons Engineering Tritium Facility (WETF) rooftop exhaust duct to verify that the stack sample location was in compliance with the ANSI standard for stack sampling, ANSI N13.1-1999. This ANSI standard is called out by the Clean Air Act rules for airborne radionuclide emissions from DOE facilities, 40 CFR 61 Subpart H. This sample location is designated 16020504, indicating Technical Area 16, Building 0205. The rooftop duct formerly discharged to Exhaust Stack 04, but in 2007 it was re-routed to exhaust out Building 0450, Exhaust Stack 05. For continuity, we have kept the 16020504 designation to represent this duct sample location.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES↗

Numerical study on aerosol sampling in a nuclear facility duct with a 90-degree elbow

Due to the challenging design requirements, elbows are often unavoidable in duct configuration, and these 90-degree bends introduce swirl, velocity variations, recirculation, and secondary flow. These disturbances make it difficult for nuclear facilities to meet particle sampling standards. A series of numerical analyses are conducted to track aerosols in a nuclear facility duct having a 90-degree elbow with the assistance of computational fluid dynamics (CFD). A turbulence model, a continuity, and a momentum, a discrete phase model, and species transport equations are solved simultaneously to track aerosols in the duct. The effect of turbulence models, turbulent dispersion models, droplet drag model, aerosol amount, aerosol spray configuration, guide vanes, and mixers are investigated. Simulation results are analyzed per relevant testing codes such as DOE-HDBK-1169, ASME AG1, ISO 14644-3, ACGIH, and ANSI/HPS N13.1.

Han, Kai [Savannah River Nuclear Solutions (SRNS),↗

Low-frequency rear quadrant noise of a turbojet engine with exhaust duct muffling

A J-65 engine was run with a tuned sound-absorbing exhaust duct to study the internal and jet components of rear quadrant noise. Full muffler, hard wall duct, and regular production engine configurations were tested. The jet exhaust velocities were subsonic. The use of the exhaust muffler extended the relation between the jet noise and the eighth power of the jet velocity to lower velocities than for the hard wall duct.

Woodward, R. P.↗

A difference theory for noise propagation in an acoustically lined duct with mean flow

A finite difference formulation is presented for sound propagation in a two-dimensional straight soft-walled duct with uniform flow. The difference analysis is developed in terms of complex notation. The governing acoustic difference equations and the appropriate displacement boundary conditions associated with uniform flow are presented for the sound attenuation in straight hard and soft-walled ducts. At present the finite Mach number case is solved only for the one-dimensional hard walled duct.

Baumeister, K. J.↗

Numerical simulation of noise propagation in jet engine ducts

A finite difference formulation is presented which is useful in the study of acoustically treated inlet and exhaust ducts used in turbofan engines. The difference formulation can readily handle acoustic flow field complications, such as axial variations in wall impedance and cross-sectional area, that would occur in a sonic inlet. In formulating the difference solutions, the continuous acoustic field is lumped into a series of grid points spread uniformly throughout the field. At each point, the pressure is separated into its real and imaginary terms. Example solutions are presented for sound propagation in a one-dimensional straight hard-wall duct and in a two-dimensional straight soft-wall duct without steady flow.

Baumeister, K. J.↗

A theoretical and experimental study of sound attenuation in an annular duct.

The flow duct used in the experiments for this study was described in an earlier paper by Plumblee and Dean (1972). Angular and radial standing modes were excited in isolation, and the modal attenuation and phase speed were measured in an annular duct with locally reacting liners. Contour maps of constant attenuation and phase speed were computed in the wall impedance plane for no-flow and several flow conditions, and experimental data were compared with some of these calculations. The effect of flow on modal attenuation and phase speed was measured and is theoretically verified. The major result of this study is the verification of theoretical predictions which ultimately can lead to a duct liner design optimization without resort to expensive and lengthy test programs.

Plumblee, H. E.↗

A difference theory for noise propagation in an acoustically lined duct with mean flow.

A finite difference formulation is presented for sound propagation in a two-dimensional straight soft-walled duct with uniform flow. The difference analysis is developed in terms of complex notation. The governing acoustic difference equations and the appropriate displacement boundary conditions associated with uniform flow are presented. Example calculations are presented for the sound attenuation in straight hard and soft-walled ducts. At present the finite Mach number case is solved only for the one-dimensional hard walled duct.

Baumeister, K. J.↗