Fluid Flow and Combustion Characteristics of Triangular Rotary Engines With Port Configuration Designs

Abstract

Abstract The utilization of hydrogen energy in Triangular Rotary Engines (TRE) presents a promising opportunity for the development of environmentally friendly engines and advanced power generation equipment. However, the primary challenge lies in the design and performance prediction of TRE. This study employs Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to investigate the fluid flow characteristics of a side-ported triangular rotating engine. The impact of varying the number of ports, port positions, and port designs on rotary engine performance is thoroughly examined and compared with the efficiency of a previously modeled triangular rotary peripheral port engine. The analysis considers two types of side ports, single and double, and evaluates three different port designs based on the angle of the port slopes. Additionally, two port position configurations for intake/exhaust openings are explored to comprehensively study port opening geometry. The fluid simulation results reveal differences in mass flow rate, average velocity, and average pressure between peripheral and side-ported TRE, as well as between single and double side-ported configurations. Furthermore, predictions based on fluid moment and vortex number statistics suggest that the side-ported TRE offers lower fluid flow resistance, lower risk of leakage, and higher combustion efficiency compared to the peripheral-ported TRE. Moreover, vortex number statistics in combustion and non-combustion zones are introduced to predict leakage risk and combustion performance, respectively. Predictions indicate that the side-ported TRE has a relatively low risk of leakage and higher combustion efficiency compared to the peripheral-ported TRE. These predictions are further validated through combustion simulations using hydrogen fuel.