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Numerical study of the effect of inlet geometry on combustion instabilities in a lean premixed swirl combustor

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Abstract

The effects of flow structure and flame dynamics on combustion instabilities in a lean premixed swirl combustor were numerically investigated using Large eddy simulation (LES) by varying the inlet geometry of combustor. The dynamic k sgs-equation and G-equation flamelet models were respectively employed as the LES subgrid models of turbulence and combustion. The divergent half angle (α) in the combustor inlet was varied systematically from 30° to 90° to quantify the effect of inlet geometry on the combustion instabilities. This variation caused considerable deformation in recirculation zones in terms of their size and location, leading to significant changes in flame dynamics. Analysis of unsteady pressure distributions in the combustor showed that the largest damping caused by combustion instabilities takes place at α = 45°, and the amplitude of acoustic pressure oscillation is largest at α = 30°. Examination of local Rayleigh parameters indicated that controlling flame-vortex interactions by modifying inlet geometry can change the local characteristics of combustion instabilities in terms of their amplification and suppression, and thus serve as a useful approach to reduce the instabilities in a lean premixed swirl combustor. These phenomena were studied in detail through unsteady analysis associated with flow and flame dynamics.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Korea

    Chang-Eon Lee

  2. Department of Mechanical Systems Engineering, Chosun University, Gwangju, 501759, Korea

    Seul-Hyun Park

  3. Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention, Daejeon University, Daejeon, 34520, Korea

    Cheol-Hong Hwang

Authors
  1. Chang-Eon Lee
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  2. Seul-Hyun Park
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  3. Cheol-Hong Hwang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cheol-Hong Hwang.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Jeong Park

Chang-Eon Lee received his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Mechanical Engineering from Inha University, Korea in 1983 and 1985, respectively. He received his Ph.D. degree from Toyohashi National University of Technology, Japan in 1992. Dr. Lee is currently a Professor at the School of Mechanical Engineering at Inha University in Incheon, Korea. He served as President of the Journal of the Korean Society of Combustion. Dr. Lee’s research interests include fluid mechanics, combustion and environmental pollution, and total energy.

Cheol-Hong Hwang received a Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Inha University, Korea in 1996. He currently works as an Associate Professor in the Department of Fire and Disaster Prevention at Daejeon University in Daejeon, Korea. His major research interests include combustion and fire dynamics using large eddy simulation and fundamental phenomena of chemically reacting flow.

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Lee, CE., Park, SH. & Hwang, CH. Numerical study of the effect of inlet geometry on combustion instabilities in a lean premixed swirl combustor. J Mech Sci Technol 30, 5293–5303 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-016-1048-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-016-1048-y

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