Compressible Fluid Dynamics Research Articles

CFD Simulation of Stirling Engines: A Review

Stirling engines (SEs) have long attracted the attention of renewable energy researchers due to their external combustion design and flexibility in operating with various heat sources. The mathematical analysis of these devices is conducted by using a broad range of models ranging from basic zero-order to highly detailed fourth-order models, which are implemented through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. The unique features of this last approach, combined with the increase in computing power, have promoted the use of CFD as a tool for analyzing SEs in recent years, significantly reducing the costs associated with prototype construction. However, Stirling CFD simulations are sophisticated due to the variety of physical phenomena involved, such as volume change, conjugated heat transfer, turbulent compressible fluid dynamics, and flow through porous media in the regenerator. Furthermore, there is currently no comprehensive review of CFD simulations of SEs in the literature; therefore, this contribution aims to fill that gap. Emphasis has been placed on identifying the type of engine, the physical phenomena modeled, the simplifying assumptions, and specific numerical aspects, such as mesh type, spatial and temporal discretization, and the order of the numerical schemes used. As a result, it has been found that in many cases, CFD numerical reports lack sufficient detail to ensure the reproducibility of the simulations. This work proposes guidelines for reporting CFD studies on Stirling engines to address this issue. Additionally, the need for a sufficiently detailed experimental benchmark database to validate future CFD studies is stressed. Finally, the use of Large Eddy Simulations on coupled key engine components—such as compression and expansion spaces, pistons, displacer, and regenerator—is suggested to provide further insights into the specific flow and heat transfer characteristics in Stirling engines.

SU2-COOL: Open-source framework for non-ideal compressible fluid dynamics

We present a fully open-source framework for the numerical simulation of Non-Ideal Compressible Fluid Dynamics (NICFD). The open-source Computational Fluid Dynamics suite SU2 is coupled to the open-source thermophysical library CoolProp, which includes state-of-the-art thermodynamic models of numerous pure fluids and mixtures relevant to applications. Accurate thermodynamic models are needed due to non-ideal operating conditions in which the fluid thermodynamics cannot be described by the simple ideal-gas law (Pv=RT). The coupling interface implements new C++ classes, which allow the automatic exchange of information between SU2 and CoolProp, and it is made directly available as an additional module integrated into the open-source SU2 suite. To assess the performance of the NICFD simulation framework, we present three test cases: a nozzle flow exhibiting non-ideal thermodynamics effects, a nozzle flow with non-monotone Mach number variation, a representative non-ideal gasdynamics effect, and a non-classical rarefaction oblique shock over a wedge. Results are verified against available experiment data and solutions obtained with different implementations of non-ideal thermodynamics in SU2. Performance of the new framework is assessed on user-friendliness, scalability, solution accuracy, and computational efficiency.

OpenSBLI v3.0: High-fidelity multi-block transonic aerofoil CFD simulations using domain specific languages on GPUs

OpenSBLI is an automatic code-generation framework for compressible Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations on heterogeneous computing architectures (previous release: Lusher et al. (2021) [4]). OpenSBLI is coupled to the Oxford Parallel Structured (OPS) Domain Specific Language (DSL), which uses source-to-source translation to enable parallel execution of the code on large-scale supercomputers, including multi-GPU clusters. To date, OpenSBLI has largely been applied to compressible turbulence and shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions on very simple geometries comprised of single mesh blocks with essentially orthogonal grid lines. OpenSBLI has been extended in this new release to target strongly curvilinear cases, including transonic aerofoils using multi-block grids. In addition to multi-block mesh support, more efficient numerical shock-capturing methods and filters have been added to the codebase. Improvements to post-processing, reduced-dimension data output, and coupling to a modal decomposition library are also included. A set of validation cases are presented to showcase the new code features. Furthermore, state-of-the-art wide-span transonic aerofoil simulations on up to N=2.5×109 grid points demonstrate that wider aspect ratios can alter buffet predictions and increase the regularity of the low-frequency shock oscillations by accommodating fully-developed trailing edge flow separation. Spectral Proper Orthogonal Decomposition (SPOD) analysis showed that overly-narrow aerofoil simulations contain additional domain-dependent energy content at a Strouhal number of St≈3 associated with wake modes.

Advancing instantaneous detonation prediction of condensed energetic materials based on high-order compressible multiphase fluid dynamics

The instantaneous detonation model (IDM) is widely used in simulating underwater explosions due to its efficiency and ability to ignore the detonation reaction process. In this study, we propose a new IDM to predict the fluid structure in the detonation zone of an RS211 explosive charge. This model is based on high-order solutions provided by the detonation shock dynamics model, where the spatial term is discretized using fifth-order WENO reconstruction in characteristic space and Lax–Friedrichs’s splitting and the temporal terms are discretized using a third-order TVD Runge–Kutta scheme. The interface motion is captured using the level-set method combined with MGFM, and a programmed burn model is provided to describe the generation and propagation of the detonation wave. The self-similarity of detonation wave propagation is validated, and the quantitative calculation formula of the instantaneous detonation model is obtained by averaging or curve fitting the dimensionless results. Consequently, the IDM of the RS211 charge is established using high-order polynomial approximations of the Taylor rarefaction zone and a constant static zone for 1D planar, cylindrical, and spherical RS211 charges. The application of the IDM involves direct mapping from the radial direction to the spatial structured grid for 1D planar, 2D cylindrical, and 3D spherical charges. Numerical results demonstrate that the IDM proposed in this paper shows good accuracy and high computational efficiency.

Pressure-Sensitive-Paint-Driven Hybrid Unsteady Compressible Flow Simulation

A hybrid unsteady compressible computational fluid dynamics simulation (CFD) driven by pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) data is proposed, and the concept is demonstrated in two dimensions. By imposing the wall pressure acquired with PSP as the Dirichlet boundary condition, an unsteady compressible Euler equation solver is marched together with integral boundary-layer equations in time. As a result, an entire flowfield that fits the PSP measurement is created in the CFD domain. This concept is tested by taking PSP data from a past article of a wind-tunnel test using the NASA CRM65 airfoil and the steady and unsteady capabilities of this data-driven hybrid simulation are demonstrated for transonic flows in two dimensions, and the convergence characteristics are also investigated. It is found that a steady shock position, which cannot be accurately predicted by the Euler equation solver with a boundary layer, can be rectified by the hybrid simulation. Moreover, unsteady shock motion due to buffeting can also be captured well by the hybrid simulation.

Artificial neural network aided vapor–liquid equilibrium model for multi-component high-pressure transcritical flows with phase change

In this work, an artificial neural network (ANN) aided vapor–liquid equilibrium (VLE) model is developed and coupled with a fully compressible computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver to simulate the transcritical processes occurring in high-pressure liquid-fueled propulsion systems. The ANN is trained in Python using TensorFlow, optimized for inference using Open Neural Network Exchange Runtime, and coupled with a C++ based CFD solver. This plug-and-play model/methodology can be used to convert any multi-component CFD solver to simulate transcritical processes using only open-source packages, without the need of in-house VLE model development. The solver is then used to study high-pressure transcritical shock-droplet interaction in both two- and four-component systems and a turbulent temporal mixing layer (TML), where both qualitative and quantitative agreement (maximum relative error less than 5%) is shown with respect to results based on both direct evaluation and the state-of-the-art in situ adaptive tabulation (ISAT) method. The ANN method showed a 6 times speed-up over the direct evaluation and a 2.2-time speed-up over the ISAT method for the two-component shock-droplet interaction case. The ANN method is faster than the ISAT method by 12 times for the four-component shock-droplet interaction. A 7 times speed-up is observed for the TML case for the ANN method compared to the ISAT method while achieving a data compression factor of 2881. The ANN method also shows intrinsic load balancing, unlike traditional VLE solvers. A strong parallel scalability of this ANN method with the number of processors was observed for all the three test cases. Code repository for 0D VLE solvers, and C++ ANN interface—https://github.com/UMN-CRFEL/ANN_VLE.git.

Nonclassical wave propagation measurements in the high temperature vapor of D6\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\hbox {D}_{6}$$\\end{document} with the asymmetric shock tube for experiments in rarefaction waves (ASTER)

A novel test setup called the asymmetric shock tube for experiments on nonideal rarefaction waves (ASTER) has been commissioned at Delft University of Technology. The ASTER, which works according to the principle of Ludwieg tubes, is designed to generate and measure the speed of small and finite amplitude waves propagating in the dense vapors of fluids formed by complex organic molecules, therefore in the nonideal compressible fluid dynamics regime. The ultimate goal of the associated research is to prove the existence of nonclassical gasdynamics. The setup consists of a high-pressure charge tube and a vacuum tank separated by a glass disk equipped with a breaking mechanism for rarefaction waves experiments. When the glass disk is broken, an expansion wave propagates into the tube in the direction opposite to the fluid flow. The propagation speed of this wave is measured using a time-of-flight method with the help of four fast-response pressure sensors placed equidistantly in the middle of the tube. The charge tube can withstand pressures and temperatures of up to 15 bar and 400∘C\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{\\circ }\\mathrm{C}$$\\end{document}. Preliminary rarefaction experiments were successfully conducted using dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane, D6\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\hbox {D}_{6}$$\\end{document}, as the working fluid and at pressures and temperatures of up to 9.4 bar and 372∘C\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$^{\\circ }\\mathrm{C}$$\\end{document} , respectively. The results of an experiment featuring the initial state for which a theoretical model predicts the nonclassical acceleration of rarefaction waves show that the propagation is qualitatively different from that put into evidence by experiments for which the propagation is classic. Upcoming setup improvements and experimental campaigns are planned with the objective of experimentally verifying the existence of nonclassical gasdynamics.Graphical abstract

Multirate time-integration based on dynamic ODE partitioning through adaptively refined meshes for compressible fluid dynamics

In this paper, we apply the Paired-Explicit Runge-Kutta (P-ERK) schemes by Vermeire et al. [1,2] to dynamically partitioned systems arising from adaptive mesh refinement. The P-ERK schemes enable multirate time-integration with no changes in the spatial discretization methodology, making them readily implementable in existing codes that employ a method-of-lines approach.We show that speedup compared to a range of state of the art Runge-Kutta methods can be realized, despite additional overhead due to the dynamic re-assignment of flagging variables and restricting nonlinear stability properties. The effectiveness of the approach is demonstrated for a range of simulation setups for viscous and inviscid convection-dominated compressible flows for which we provide a reproducibility repository.In addition, we perform a thorough investigation of the nonlinear stability properties of the Paired-Explicit Runge-Kutta schemes regarding limitations due to the violation of monotonicity properties of the underlying spatial discretization. Furthermore, we present a novel approach for estimating the relevant eigenvalues of large Jacobians required for the optimization of stability polynomials.

An explicit primitive conservative solver for the Euler equations with arbitrary equation of state

This work presents a procedure to solve the Euler equations by explicitly updating, in a conservative manner, a generic thermodynamic variable such as temperature, pressure or entropy instead of the total energy. The presented procedure is valid for any equation of state and spatial discretization. When using complex equations of state such as Span–Wagner, choosing the temperature as the generic thermodynamic variable yields great reductions in the computational costs associated to thermodynamic evaluations. Results computed with a state of the art thermodynamic model are presented, and computational times are analyzed. Particular attention is dedicated to the conservation of total energy, the propagation speed of shock waves and jump conditions. The procedure is thoroughly tested using the Span–Wagner equation of state through the CoolProp thermodynamic library and the Van der Waals equation of state, both in the ideal and non-ideal compressible fluid-dynamics regimes, by comparing it to the standard total energy update and analytical solutions where available.

Assessment of particle image velocimetry applied to high-speed organic vapor flows

Compressible flows of fluids whose thermophysical properties are related by complex equations are quantitatively and can be qualitatively different from high-speed flows of ideal gases. Nonideal compressible fluid dynamics (NICFD) is concerned with these fluid flows, which are relevant in many processes and power and propulsion systems. Typically, NICFD effects occur if the fluid is an organic compound and its vapor state is close to the vapor–liquid critical point, at high-reduced temperature and pressure (even supercritical). Current design and analysis of devices operating in the nonideal compressible regime demand for validated simulation software, characterized in terms of uncertainty. Moreover, experiments are needed to further validate related theory. Experimental data are limited as generating and measuring these flows is challenging given their high pressure or temperature or both. In addition, flows of organic compounds can be flammable, can thermally decompose, and sealing may demand for special materials. Recently, more research has been devoted to the measurement of these flows using both intrusive and less intrusive techniques relying on optical access and lasers. The transparency and refractive properties of these dense vapors pose additional problems. The ORCHID (organic Rankine cycle hybrid integrated device) at the Aerospace Propulsion and Power Laboratory of Delft University of Technology is a closed-loop facility, used to generate a continuous nonideal supersonic flow of siloxane MM with the vapor at 4bar\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$${{\ extrm{bar}}}$$\\end{document} and 220 °C at the inlet of the test section. Within this work, we have employed particle image velocimetry for the first time to obtain the velocity field in a de Laval nozzle in such flows. Measured velocity fields (expanded uncertainty within 1.1% of the maximum velocity) have been compared with those resulting from a CFD simulation. The comparison between experimental and simulated data is satisfactory, with deviation ranging from 0.1 to 10 % from the throat to the outlet, respectively. This discrepancy is attributed to hardware limitations, which will be overcome in the future experiments. The feasibility of PIV with uncontrolled but fixed seeding density to measure high-speed vapors of organic vapors has been demonstrated, and future experimental campaigns will target flows for which nonideal effects are more pronounced, other paradigmatic configurations, and improvements to the measurement techniques.

High-order discretization–based self-adaptive turbulence eddy simulation for supersonic base flow with PHengLEI software

PurposeThe purpose of the present study is to develop a new numerical framework that can predict the supersonic base flow more accurately, including the development of axisymmetrically separated shear layer and recompression shock. To this end, two aspects are improved and combined, i.e. a newly self-adaptive turbulence eddy simulation (SATES) turbulence modeling method and a high-order discretization numerical scheme. Furthermore, the performance of the new numerical framework within a general-purpose PHengLEI software is assessed in detail.Design/methodology/approachSatisfactory prediction of the supersonic separated shear layer with unsteady wake flow is quite challenging. By using a unified turbulence model called SATES combining high-order accurate discretization numerical schemes, the present study first assesses the performance of newly developed SATES for supersonic axisymmetric separation flows. A high-order finite differencing-based compressible computational fluid dynamics (CFD) code called PHengLEI is developed and several different numerical schemes are used to investigate the effects on shock-turbulence interactions, which include the monotonic upstream-centered scheme for conservation laws (MUSCL), weighted compact nonlinear scheme (WCNS) and hybrid cell-edge and cell-node dissipative compact scheme (HDCS).FindingsCompared with the available experimental data and the numerical predictions, the results of SATES by using high-order accurate WCNS or HDCS schemes agree better with the experiments than the results by using the MUSCL scheme. The WCNS and HDCS can also significantly improve the prediction of flow physics in terms of the instability of the annular shear layer and the evolution of the turbulent wake.Research limitations/implicationsThe small deviations in the recirculation region can be found between the present numerical results and experimental data, which could be caused by the inaccurate incoming boundary layer condition and compressible effects. Therefore, a proper incoming boundary layer condition with turbulent fluctuations and compressibility effects need to be considered to further improve the accuracy of simulations.Practical implicationsThe present study evaluates a high-order discretization-based SATES turbulence model for supersonic separation flows, which is quite valuable for improving the calculation accuracy of aeronautics applications, especially in supersonic conditions.Originality/valueFor the first time, the newly developed SATES turbulence modeling method combining the high-order accurate WCNS or HDCS numerical schemes is implemented on the PHengLEI software and successfully applied for the simulations of supersonic separation flows, and satisfactory results are obtained. The unsteady evolutions of the supersonic annular shear layer are analyzed, and the hairpin vortex structures are found in the simulation.

A space marching method for sonic boom near field predictions

The conventional sonic boom propagation prediction method widely adopted in supersonic aircraft design involves a two-step procedure. In the first step, a compressible viscous or inviscid Computational Fluid Dynamics analysis is applied to the aircraft geometry at flight conditions to produce a flow field solution near the aircraft. Then in the second step, a one dimensional nonlinear Burgers’ equation model is used to propagate sonic boom signature traces from the near field solution at flight altitude to the ground along a ray path. For an accurate ground signature prediction the near field signature must be accurately modeled at a sufficient distance from the aircraft flight path in order to minimize errors in the one dimensional propagation model. This is a very challenging task for general purpose CFD tools in a design environment because the cost of maintaining highly accurate off-body solutions increases dramatically as the radial distance is enlarged in the computational domain. It is also particularly difficult to apply these tools for wave propagation because the algorithms are normally lower order and numerically dissipative and dispersive. In this work a space marching procedure based on an optimized higher order finite difference method is developed and applied in conjunction with a CFD solution concentrated in the close vicinity of the aircraft. This new approach is much more efficient, compared to previous methods, in providing highly accurate near field signatures for full carpet ground predictions. Results indicate that near field signatures retain more waveform shape information farther from the aircraft geometry while reducing the CFD cost significantly. The predicted ground signature is also shown to converge in shape as the radial distance of the near field signature grows, which is indicative of a more ideal initial condition being supplied to the one dimensional wave propagation to ground. This feature is very difficult to replicate in a tractable manner with common CFD approaches used in design.

Non-intrusive reduced order models for the accurate prediction of bifurcating phenomena in compressible fluid dynamics

The present works is focused on studying bifurcating solutions in compressible fluid dynamics. On one side, the physics of the problem is thoroughly investigated using high-fidelity simulations of the compressible Navier–Stokes equations discretised with the Discontinuous Galerkin method. On the other side, from a numerical modelling point of view, two different non-intrusive reduced order modelling techniques are employed to predict the overall behaviour of the bifurcation. Both approaches showed good agreement with full-order simulations even in proximity of the bifurcating points where the solution is particularly non-smooth.

A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF HYPOTHESIS IN THE MODELING OF A HYBRID COMPRESSION REFRIGERATION CYCLE

This paper presents a comprehensive thermodynamic analysis of a hybrid refrigeration system that integrates an evacuated tube solar thermal collector into a vapor compression refrigeration cycle. The proposed analysis comprises two distinct approaches: an isovolumetric model and a compressible flow model. The former assumes a constant specific volume within the solar heat exchanger, while the latter applies principles of compressible fluid dynamics. The study compares these models with a reference work, emphasizing similarities and disparities. The investigation systematically varies key parameters, including evaporator and condenser temperatures, inlet and outlet temperatures of the heat exchanger, and heat load. By varying these parameters, the coefficient of performance (COP) and compressor work are evaluated, elucidating the impact of heat addition on the system's performance. Additionally, the influence of different working refrigerant fluids, such as R22 and R410A, is examined under various design point conditions. The results demonstrate the potential energy savings achievable by the hybrid system, with reductions in electrical power compared to the conventional compressor, as solar heat is introduced. While the isovolumetric analysis closely aligns with the reference work, the compressible flow modeling highlights sensitivity to inlet conditions. Although not directly comparable, the latter approach presents promising trends within specific design point ranges. Comparisons of performance curves for different refrigerant fluids further validate the models and assist in potential fluid selection. Overall, the outcomes indicate a promising avenue for energy-efficient refrigeration systems and provide valuable insights for engineering design and optimization.

Efficient implementation of complex equations of state in a high-order framework

In the last decades, the interest in non-ideal compressible fluid dynamics (NICFD) flows and high-order accurate numerical methods, such as discontinuous Galerkin (dG), has quickly grown. In fact, advanced simulation capabilities are of paramount importance to develop new sustainable technologies with higher efficiency and low environmental impact, and to decrease the use of expensive experimental facilities. Nowadays however, the coupling of accurate Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solvers with sophisticated thermodynamic models has been investigated mainly in the finite volume (FV) framework. Moreover, the solution of complex equations of state (EoS) has a too high computational cost for real-life use in industry, which is often overcome with the look-up table (LuT) interpolation approach. LuTs seem to be more suitable for FV solvers rather than high-order or finite element ones, since the interpolation error introduced may deteriorate the higher accuracy provided by these numerical methods. The novelty of this work lies in the assessment of an efficient implementation for real gas simulations in a high-order solver, by resorting to structured LuTs and automatic differentiation (AD). The proposed implementation is assessed with the computation of the inviscid and turbulent flow around a NACA0012. This approach guarantees an overhead of the computational cost around 17% with respect to an ideal gas solver with manually derived jacobian matrix.

Nonideal Compressible Fluid Dynamics of Dense Vapors and Supercritical Fluids

The gas dynamics of single-phase nonreacting fluids whose thermodynamic states are close to vapor-liquid saturation, close to the vapor-liquid critical point, or in supercritical conditions differs quantitatively and qualitatively from the textbook gas dynamics of dilute, ideal gases. Due to nonideal fluid thermodynamic properties, unconventional gas dynamic effects are possible, including nonclassical rarefaction shock waves and the nonmonotonic variation of the Mach number along steady isentropic expansions. This review provides a comprehensive theoretical framework of the fundamentals of nonideal compressible fluid dynamics (NICFD). The relation between nonideal gas dynamics and the complexity of the fluid molecules is clarified. The theoretical, numerical, and experimental tools currently employed to investigate NICFD flows and related applications are reviewed, followed by an overview of industrial processes involving NICFD, ranging from organic Rankine and supercritical CO2 cycle power systems to supercritical processes. The future challenges facing researchers in the field are briefly outlined.

Investigation of non-ideal effects in compressible boundary layers of dense vapors through direct numerical simulations

In this work, we present an investigation about the sources of dissipation in adiabatic boundary layers of non-ideal compressible fluid flows. Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of transitional, zero-pressure gradient boundary layer flows are performed for two fluids characterized by different complexity of the fluid molecules, namely, “air” and siloxane MM. Different sets of thermodynamic free-stream boundary conditions are selected to evaluate the influence of the fluid state on both the frictional loss and the dissipation mechanisms. The thermophysical properties of siloxane MM are calculated with a state-of-the-art equation of state. Results show that the dissipation due to both time-mean strain field, irreversible heat transfer, and turbulent dissipation differs significantly depending on both the molecular complexity of the fluid and its thermodynamic state. The dissipation coefficient calculated from the DNS results is then compared against the one obtained using a reduced-order model (ROM), which solves the two-dimensional boundary layer flow equations for an arbitrary fluid [M. Pini and C. De Servi, “Entropy generation in laminar boundary layers of non-ideal fluid flows,” in 2nd International Seminar on Non-Ideal Compressible Fluid Dynamics for Propulsion and Power (Springer, 2020), pp. 104–117]. Results from both the DNS and the ROM show that low values of the overall dissipation are observed in the case of fluids made of simple molecules, e.g., air, and if the fluid is at a thermodynamic state in the proximity of that of the vapor–liquid critical point.

Combustion dynamics analysis of a pressurized airblast swirl burner using proper orthogonal decomposition

Jet fuel-fired combustors in aero gas turbine engines have switched to lean burn to decrease nitric oxide emissions in recent years as a result of strict emission regulations. Lean operating conditions, however, exhibit a heightened sensitivity to thermoacoustic instabilities and such burners require careful consideration in design and operation. Similar to natural gas-fired combustors, they exhibit thermoacoustic instabilities, but the characteristics are more complex and less well-studied. This paper presents a numerical investigation of an airblast jet fuel swirl burner operating with preheated air at lean pressurized conditions. In order to understand the acoustic characteristics of the in-house designed burner (Magister UT burner), detached eddy simulations are performed at relevant aero engine conditions. Simulation results are then analyzed by means of our internally developed parallel modal analysis package, PARAMOUNT, to perform proper orthogonal decomposition (POD) on large datasets. The resulting modes are inspected to highlight flow features of interest and their associated acoustic frequencies at unforced conditions. Single frequency acoustic forcing is employed to study the acoustic response of the burner to perturbations at similar frequencies to its precessing vortex core. We show that parallel computation of POD modes is a viable tool to investigate the main flow features of swirl burners and is suitable for highlighting the important acoustic frequencies without the need to employ fully compressible computational fluid dynamics solvers. Additionally, the analysis method reveals the ways in which various flow structures correlate with each other and how external perturbations modify them.

An Arbitrarily High Order and Asymptotic Preserving Kinetic Scheme in Compressible Fluid Dynamic

We present a class of arbitrarily high order fully explicit kinetic numerical methods in compressible fluid dynamics, both in time and space, which include the relaxation schemes by Jin and Xin. These methods can use the CFL number larger or equal to unity on regular Cartesian meshes for the multi-dimensional case. These kinetic models depend on a small parameter that can be seen as a “Knudsen” number. The method is asymptotic preserving in this Knudsen number. Also, the computational costs of the method are of the same order of a fully explicit scheme. This work is the extension of Abgrall et al. (2022) [3] to multi-dimensional systems. We have assessed our method on several problems for two-dimensional scalar problems and Euler equations and the scheme has proven to be robust and to achieve the theoretically predicted high order of accuracy on smooth solutions.

Non-thermal plasma actuator mechanism in interaction with fluid flow structure for aeronautical flow control

Plasma actuators generated by surface dielectric barrier discharge are developed for controlling flow in aeronautics applications. This research studies the simulation of cold plasma discharge at atmospheric pressure coupled with compressible fluid dynamics using COMSOL Multiphysics 5.4. Modeling of dielectric barrier discharge in air at high voltages is carried out in two dimensions. The development of electric field and space charge density are discussed in several cases to determine the discharge regime. Non-thermal plasma generates tangential ionic winds at the surface during corona discharge. The results are validated by the experimental results of the literature. The maximum electric wind velocity above the actuator grows linearly with the applied voltage, and simultaneously, the horizontal extension of the discharge grows with the applied voltage. The induced electrohydrodynamic force augments with the applied voltage amplitude, reaching saturation at higher voltages. Moreover, as the voltage rises, the discharge becomes filamentary, inducing a higher number of streamer pulses. Hence, the power consumption discharge increases abruptly as the voltage rises. In addition, the efficiency increases at higher voltage amplitudes and with the dielectric thickness. Our findings give a clear description of physical atmospheric plasma parameters in the surface discharge mechanism and the efficiency of the actuator plasma.