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The Effect of Air Preheating on a Sudden-Expansion Turbulent Diffusion Air-fuel Flame

  • Research Article - Mechanical Engineering
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Abstract

An axisymmetric sudden-expansion geometry of a co-flowing methane–air diffusion flame is considered to investigate the effect of air preheating on pollutant formation using \({k-\varepsilon}\) turbulence and β-PDF combustion models. The governing equations are solved by iterative numerical approach using Finite Volume Method and a second-order upwind scheme. NO and CO2 concentration and peak combustor temperature as well as combustor efficiency are studied in this paper. The obtained results show that air preheating increases NO formation and maximum temperature in the combustor. Air preheating improves the combustor efficiency and save fuel as well.

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Abbreviations

\({C_{1\varepsilon}, C_{2}, C_{3\varepsilon},\sigma_{k}, \sigma_{\varepsilon}}\) :

Turbulence model constants

D :

Diffusion coefficient

f :

Mean mixture fraction

f '2 :

Variance mixture fraction

h :

Enthalpy

G k , G b :

Generation of turbulent kinetic energy

I :

Turbulence intensity

K :

Turbulence kinetic energy

ℓ:

Characteristic length

M w,i :

Molecular weight of species i

MR :

Initial momentum ratio

NO x :

Nitrogen oxides

p(f):

Probability density function

R :

Universal gas constant

r i :

Inner radius

r o :

Outer radius

\({S_{\varphi 1},S_{\varphi 2}}\) :

Source and sink terms

x, y :

Lateral and axial

Y i :

Mass fraction of species i

V i :

Velocity components

Y i :

Mass fraction of species i

\({\Gamma_{\varphi}}\) :

Generalized effective transport coefficient

\({\varepsilon}\) :

Dissipation rate of turbulence kinetic energy

\({\varphi}\) :

Generalized variable

f :

Fuel

i :

Species

ox:

Oxidant

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

    S. A. Hashemi & A. Fattahi

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran

    G. A. Sheikhzadeh

Authors
  1. S. A. Hashemi
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  2. A. Fattahi
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  3. G. A. Sheikhzadeh
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Correspondence to S. A. Hashemi.

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Hashemi, S.A., Fattahi, A. & Sheikhzadeh, G.A. The Effect of Air Preheating on a Sudden-Expansion Turbulent Diffusion Air-fuel Flame. Arab J Sci Eng 38, 2801–2808 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-012-0342-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13369-012-0342-y

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