Large-Eddy Simulation of Ethanol Spray Combustion Using a Finite-Rate Combustion Model

Abstract

Large-eddy simulation of spray combustion is under its rapid development, but the combustion models are less validated by detailed experimental data. In this paper, large-eddy simulation of ethanol-air spray combustion was made using an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach, a subgrid-scale kinetic energy stress model, and a finite-rate combustion model. The simulation results are validated in detail by experiments. The LES obtained statistically averaged temperature is in agreement with the experimental results in most regions. The instantaneous LES results show the coherent structures of the shear region near the high-temperature flame zone and the fuel vapor concentration map, indicating the droplets are concentrated in this shear region. The droplet sizes are found to be in the range of 20–100μm. The instantaneous temperature map shows the close interaction between the coherent structures and the combustion reaction.