Vortices generation in the reactive flow on the evaporative surface

Abstract

Vortices generation and flow dynamics are investigated by a numerical calculation with LES methodology on the evaporative surface including chemical reactions. For simplicity, fuel is radially injected from the surface in order to decouple pyrolysis of solid fuel from the governing equation and consideration of heat transfer balance. Nevertheless its simple treatment of chemical reactions and fuel pyrolysis, numerical results captured very fundamental understandings in terms of averaged temperature, velocity profile, and mixture fraction distribution. Results showed that a well-defined turbulent velocity profile at the inlet becomes twisted and highly wrinkled in the downstream reaching the maximum velocity at far above the surface, where the flame is located. And the thickness of boundary layer increases in the downstream due to the enhanced interaction of axial flow and mass injection from the surface. Also, chemical reaction appears highly active and partially concentrated along the plane where flow condition is in stoichiometric. In particular, flame front locates at the surface where mixture fraction Z equals to 0.07. Flame front severely wrinkles in the downstream by the interaction with turbulences in the flow. Partial reactions on the flame front contribute to produce hot spots periodically in the downstream attaining the max temperature at the center of each spot. This may take the role of additional unsteady heat generations and pressure perturbations in the downstream. Future study will focus on the evolution of hot spots and pressure perturbations in the post chamber of lab scale hybrid rocket motors.