Prediction of combustion and heat release rates in non-premixed syngas jet flames using finite-rate scale similarity based combustion models

Abstract

Generating energy from combustion is prone to pollutant formation. In energy systems working under non-premixed combustion mode, rapid mixing is required to increase the heat release rates. However, local extinction and re-ignition may occur, resulting from strong turbulence-chemistry interaction, especially when rates of mixing exceed combustion rates, causing harmful emissions and flame instability. Since the physical mechanisms for such processes are not well understood, there are not yet combustion models in large eddy simulation (LES) context capable of accurately predicting them. In the present study, finite-rate scale similarity (SS) combustion models were applied to evaluate both heat release and combustion rates. The performance of three SS models was a priori assessed based on the direct numerical simulation of a temporally evolving syngas jet flame experiencing high level of local extinction and re-ignition. The results show that SS models following the Bardina's "grid filtering" approach (A and B) have lower errors than the model based on the Germano's "test filtering" approach (C), in terms of mean, root mean square (RMS), and local errors. In mean, both Bardina's based models capture well the filtered combustion and heat release rates. Locally, Model A captures better major species, while Model B retrieves radicals more accurately.