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Large-eddy simulation and acoustic analysis of a turbulent flow field in a swirl-stabilized combustor

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Abstract

To conduct a comprehensive study on the flow characteristics and acoustic oscillation in a gas turbine combustor, a 3D large-eddy simulation (LES) was implemented. The formulation consists of the Favre-filtered conservation equations of mass, momentum, and energy. The subgrid-scale dynamics are modeled using a compressible flow version of the Smagorinsky model. To investigate the dominant coherent structure, the proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) method was used for post-processing. The combustor of concern is the LM6000, lean-premixed dry low-NOx annular combustor, developed by General Electric Aircraft Engines (GEAE). Four important characteristics of swirl flow are visualized: vortex breakdown, procession and dissipation of vortical structures, recirculation zones, and helical waves immediately downstream of the swirl injector. It is shown that the turbulent motion of swirl flow directly affects acoustic oscillation through the cycle and spectral analysis. The four most dominant acoustic modes are extracted from the flow field by the POD analysis. The transverse modes in the y and z directions are dominant in all four modes, since the pressure fields are significantly affected by swirl flow.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, Korea Aerospace University, Gyeonggi-do, 412-791, Korea

    Jong-Chan Kim, Kwang-Hee Yoo & Hong-Gye Sung

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  1. Jong-Chan Kim
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  2. Kwang-Hee Yoo
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  3. Hong-Gye Sung
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hong-Gye Sung.

Additional information

This paper was recommended for publication in revised form by Associate Editor Jun Sang Park

Jong-Chan Kim received a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Korea Aerospace University in 2007, and an M. S. degree in Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering from Korea Aerospace University in 2009. His research interests are in the area of numerical analyses for gas turbines and rocket combustors.

Kwang-Hee Yoo received a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Korea Aerospace University in 2009. He is currently a master’s candidate at the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering of Korea Aerospace University. His research interests are in the area of numerical analyses for gas turbines and rocket combustors.

Hong-Gye Sung received a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from Inha University in 1984, and a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the The Pennsylvania State University in 1999. Dr. Sung was a part of numerous research endeavors in the fields of high-speed propulsion and rocket propulsion in the Agency for Defense Development (1984–2006). He is currently a professor at the School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at Korea Aerospace University in Goyang, Korea. Dr. Sung’s research interests are in the areas of propulsion and combustion, and their control.

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Kim, JC., Yoo, KH. & Sung, HG. Large-eddy simulation and acoustic analysis of a turbulent flow field in a swirl-stabilized combustor. J Mech Sci Technol 25, 2703–2710 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-011-0741-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-011-0741-0

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