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At least 433 records · Page 24

Silane pyrolysis in a free-space reactor

The Union Carbide process for producing silicon for photovoltaic applications proceeds via high purity silane as an intermediate. Decomposition of silane is accomplished in a freespace reactor which utilizes recirculating product hydrogen and silicon to transfer energy from a heated wall to an entering silane jet. Reaction occurs away from the wall, minimizing problems with wall deposition and contamination. A series of long duration and throughput tests has proven the feasibility of this concept. High purity powder can be produced at flows up to 4.5 kg/hr (10 lb/hr) in a 0.2 m (8 inch) diameter reactor with better than 99.99% conversion efficiency. This work is funded by DOE under JPL's Low Cost Solar Array (LSA) program.

Lay, J. R.↗

Turbulent transport modelling of separating and reattaching shear flows

The improvement of capabilities for computer simulation of turbulent recirculating flows was investigated. Attention has been limited to two dimensional flows and principally to statistically stationary motion. Improvement of turbulence modeling explored the treatment of the near wall sublayer and of the exterior fully turbulent region, working within the framework of turbulence closures requiring the solution of transport equations for the turbulence energy and its dissipation rate. The work on the numerical procedure, based on the Gosman-Pun program TEACH, addressed the problems of incorporating the turbulence model as well as the extension to time dependent flows, the incorporation of a third order approximation of convective transport, and the treatment of non-orthogonal boundaries.

Launder, B. E.↗

Turbulence measurements in a swirling confined jet flowfield using a triple hot-wire probe

An axisymmetric swirling confined jet flowfield, similar to that encountered in gas turbine combustors was investigated using a triple hot-wire probe. The raw data from the three sensors were digitized using ADC's and stored on a Tektronix 4051 computer. The data were further reduced on the computer to obtain time-series for the three instantaneous velocity components in the flowfield. The time-mean velocities and the turbulence quantities were deduced. Qualification experiments were performed and where possible results compared with independent measurements. The major qualification experiments involved measurements performed in a non-swirling flow compared with conventional X-wire measurements. In the swirling flowfield, advantages of the triple wire technique over the previously used multi-position single hot-wire method are noted. The measurements obtained provide a data base with which the predictions of turbulence models in a recirculating swirling flowfield can be evaluated.

Janjua, S. I.↗

A comprehensive model to determine the effects of temperature and species fluctuations on reaction rates in turbulent reacting flows

Reaction rates in turbulent, reacting flows are reviewed. Assumed probability density functions (pdf) modeling of reaction rates is being investigated in relation to a three variable pdf employing a 'most likely pdf' model. Chemical kinetic mechanisms treating hydrogen air combustion is studied. Perfectly stirred reactor modeling of flame stabilizing recirculation regions was used to investigate the stable flame regions for silane, hydrogen, methane, and propane, and for certain mixtures thereof. It is concluded that in general, silane can be counted upon to stabilize flames only when the overall fuel air ratio is close to or greater than unity. For lean flames, silane may tend to destabilize the flame. Other factors favoring stable flames are high initial reactant temperatures and system pressure.

Goldstein, D.↗

The structure of evaporating and combusting sprays: Measurements and predictions

An apparatus was constructed to provide measurements in open sprays with no zones of recirculation, in order to provide well-defined conditions for use in evaluating spray models. Measurements were completed in a gas jet, in order to test experimental methods, and are currently in progress for nonevaporating sprays. A locally homogeneous flow (LHF) model where interphase transport rates are assumed to be infinitely fast; a separated flow (SF) model which allows for finite interphase transport rates but neglects effects of turbulent fluctuations on drop motion; and a stochastic SF model which considers effects of turbulent fluctuations on drop motion were evaluated using existing data on particle-laden jets. The LHF model generally overestimates rates of particle dispersion while the SF model underestimates dispersion rates. The stochastic SF flow yield satisfactory predictions except at high particle mass loadings where effects of turbulence modulation may have caused the model to overestimate turbulence levels.

Shuen, J. S.↗

Numerical Simulation for Droplet Combustion Using Lagrangian Hydrodynamics

A predictive model of spray combustion must incorporate models for the wide variety of physical environments in a practical combustor. In regions where droplets are closely spaced, combustion resembles a diffusion flame; where they are well separated, an envelope or wake flame results. The relative velocity field between the fuel droplets and oxidizer in influences boundary layer development about the droplet, recirculating flow patterns, and droplet shape and stability. A model must encompass these interacting temporal and spatial effects as well as complicated combustor boundaries. The objective of the current work is to develop the triangular gridding method for describing the individual and collective properties of vaporizing and burning fuel droplets.

Fritts, M. J.↗

Fuel Vaporization Effects

A study of the effects of fuel-air preparation characteristics on combustor performance and emissions at temperature and pressure ranges representative of actual gas turbine combustors is discussed. The effect of flameholding devices on the vaporization process and NOx formation is discussed. Flameholder blockage and geometry are some of the elements that affect the recirculation zone characteristics and subsequently alter combustion stability, emissions and performance. A water cooled combustor is used as the test rig. Preheated air and Jet A fuel are mixed at the entrance of the apparatus. A vaporization probe is used to determine percentage of vaporization and a gas sample probe to determine concentration of emissions in the exhaust gases. The experimental design is presented and experimental expected results are discussed.

Bosque, M. A.↗

For operation of the Computer Software Management and Information Center (COSMIC)

Computer programs for large systems of normal equations, an interactive digital signal process, structural analysis of cylindrical thrust chambers, swirling turbulent axisymmetric recirculating flows in practical isothermal combustor geometrics, computation of three dimensional combustor performance, a thermal radiation analysis system, transient response analysis, and a software design analysis are summarized.

Carmon, J. L.↗

Single-wire swirl flow turbulence measurements

A six-orientation, single wire hot wire technique is used to investigate nonswirling and swirling nonreacting flow in an axisymmetric test section with expansion ratio (test section/inlet nozzle diameter) = 2, which may be equipped with a strong contraction nozzle of area ratio 4 at a contraction nozzle downstream distance/test section diameter value = 2. The flowfield contains corner and central recirculation zones typical of gas turbine and ramjet combustion chambers. Swirl may be imparted to the incoming flow by means of a variable angle vane swirler. The effect of swirl on time mean velocities and complete Reynolds stress tensor is investigated, and extensive results are given for swirl vane angles of zero (swirler removed), 38, 45, 60 and 70 deg. The data are being used to aid in the evolution of turbulence models for these complex flow situations. A directional sensitivity analysis is included, which determines the relative accuracy of the measurement technique to approach velocity orientation.

Lilley, D. G.↗

Prediction of an axisymmetric combusting flow

A numerical model for turbulent, recirculating combusting flow is developed and applied to a research combustor. The model is based on the time-averaged Navier-Stokes equations with k-epsilon turbulence closure and the compositional fluctuations at each point are given probabilistically in terms of the mixture fraction. The probability density function is derived from transport equations for its first two moments along with an assumption regarding its shape. The resulting equations are solved using a standard line relaxation algorithm. It is found that the predictions of the model are in good agreement with data from an axisymmetric, bluff-body stabilized research combustor, while the major discrepancies are similar to those found in isothermal flow comparisons. The peculiar features of this flow which contribute to the errors are examined. The agreement between the theory and data deteriorates as the central jet velocity is increased which indicates an enhanced role for unsteady effects.

Correa, S. M.↗

Application of 3D aerodynamic/combustion model to combustor primary zone study

A description is provided of the three-dimensional elliptic code for reacting flows used in the combustor design process during the program 'Small Gas Turbine Combustor Primary Zone Study' carried out by a U.S. company. The code, designated MARC-I (multidimensional aerodynamic recirculating combustion-Version I) is an adaptation of the model described by Mongia et al. (1979). The program has the objective to advance the technology of the small reverse-flow annular combustor design through an understanding of primary zone performance factors. The MARC-I code was used for performance predictions of both original designs and later modifications. A test program consisting of both primary zone sampling and overall combustor performance measurements was carried out. It was, therefore, possible to compare the analytical predictions with actual test measurements.

Sullivan, R. E.↗

Experimental and theoretical study of combustion jet ignition

A combustion jet ignition system was developed to generate turbulent jets of combustion products containing free radicals and to discharge them as ignition sources into a combustible medium. In order to understand the ignition and the inflammation processes caused by combustion jets, the studies of the fluid mechanical properties of turbulent jets with and without combustion were conducted theoretically and experimentally. Experiments using a specially designed igniter, with a prechamber to build up and control the stagnation pressure upstream of the orifice, were conducted to investigate the formation processes of turbulent jets of combustion products. The penetration speed of combustion jets has been found to be constant initially and then decreases monotonically as turbulent jets of combustion products travel closer to the wall. This initial penetration speed to combustion jets is proportional to the initial stagnation pressure upstream of the orifice for the same stoichiometric mixture. Computer simulations by Chorin's Random Vortex Method implemented with the flame propagation algorithm for the theoretical model of turbulent jets with and without combustion were performed to study the turbulent jet flow field. In the formation processes of the turbulent jets, the large-scale eddy structure of turbulence, the so-called coherent structure, dominates the entrainment and mixing processes. The large-scale eddy structure of turbulent jets in this study is constructed by a series of vortex pairs, which are organized in the form of a staggered array of vortex clouds generating local recirculation flow patterns.

Chen, D. Y.↗

Numerical study of a separating and reattaching flow by using Reynolds-stress tubulence closure

The numerical study of the Reynolds-stress turbulence closure for separating, reattaching, recirculating and redeveloping flow is summarized. The calculations were made for two different closure models of pressure - strain correlation. The results were compared with the experimental data. Furthermore, these results were compared with the computations made by using the one layer and three layer treatment of k-epsilon turbulence model which were developed. Generally the computations by the Reynolds-stress model show better results than those by the k-epsilon model, in particular, some improvement was noticed in the redeveloping region of the separating and reattaching flow in a pipe with sudden expansion.

Amano, R. S.↗

Turbulence Characteristics of Swirling Flowfields

Combustor design phenomena; recirculating flows research; single-wire, six-orientation, eddy dissipation rate, and turbulence modeling measurement; directional sensitivity (DS); calibration equipment, confined jet facility, and hot-wire instrumentation; effects of swirl, strong contraction nozzle, and expansion ratio; and turbulence parameters; uncertain; and DS in laminar jets; turbulent nonswirling jets, and turbulent swirling jets are discussed.

Jackson, T. W.↗

Turbulent transport models for scramjet flowfields

Turbulence modeling approaches were examined from the standpoint of their capability to predict the complex flowfield features observed in scramjet combustions. Thus, for example, the accuracy of each turbulence model, with respect to the prediction of recirculating flows, was examined. It was observed that for large diameter ratio axisymmetric sudden expansion flows, a choice of turbulence model was not critical because of the domination of their flowfields by pressure forces. For low diameter ratio axisymmetric sudden expansions and planar backward-facing steps flows, where turbulent shear stresses are of greater significance, the algebraic Reynolds stress approach, modified to increase its sensitivity to streamline curvature, was found to provide the best results. Results of the study also showed that strongly swirling flows provide a stringent test of turbulence model assumptions. Thus, although flows with very high swirl are not of great practical interest, they are useful for turbulence model development. Finally, it was also noted that numerical flowfields solution techniques have a strong interrelation with turbulence models, particularly with the turbulent transport models which involve source-dominated transport equations.

Sindir, M. M.↗

Combustion Fundamentals Research

The various physical processes that occur in the gas turbine combustor and the development of analytical models that accurately describe these processes are discussed. Aspects covered include fuel sprays; fluid mixing; combustion dynamics; radiation and chemistry and numeric techniques which can be applied to highly turbulent, recirculating, reacting flow fields.

Source record↗

Turbulent swirling combustion

The non-reacting flow produced by two confined, co- and/or counter-swirling jets wre measured by means of a two-color laser Doppler velocimeter. These results are compared with earlier experiments and with numerical predictions. It is shown that under both swirl conditions, a closed recirculation zone is created at the combustor center line. This zone is characterized by the presence of a one-cell toroidal vortex, low tangential velocities, high turbulent intensity, and large dissipation rates of the kinetic energy of turbulence.

Sommer, H. T.↗

Thermodynamic analysis of journal bearings operating under steady state loading in laminar regime

Thermohydrodynamic effects in journal bearings operating under steady load in laminar regime are investigated. An analytical model for the finite and infinitely long journal bearings is formulated. The model includes correction factors for the cavitation effects in the unloaded region of the bearing and the mixing of the recirculating oil and supply oil at the oil inlet. A finite difference computer program is developed to numerically solve the governing equations of the continuity, Reynolds, energy, Laplace heat conduction, and a viscosity-temperature relation simultaneously. The program includes a numerical technique for obtaining an isothermal shaft temperature. The numerical results of temperature distribution and the heat effects on the bearing load carrying capacity agree closely with those of experimental findings. Several different sets of simpler boundary conditions for the energy equation are studied.

Khonsari, M. M.↗