Numerical Simulation of Premixed Turbulent Combustion

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The investigator and his research group are starting a program to develop more sophisticated models of premixed turbulent combustion, in which the interactions between the fast chemical reactions typical of combustion and the fluctuations in density, concentration, and temperature that accompany turbulence are addressed in more detail. These interactions appear as integrals along the flame surface separating the hot product gases from the cold reactant gases. The major difficulty in approximating these integrals is that distortion of the flame surface by turbulence at all scales is relevant and ultimately impacts on the rate of reaction in the flame. Experimental information about the interactions is required to develop a more thorough understanding of the fundamental processes at work in the flame brush. The investigator proposes to study these processes using numerical simulations of a hypothetical flame sheet passing through homogeneous turbulence, as an experimental tool. The most important limitation of simulations is the relatively modest Reynolds numbers that are achievable, due to constraints of computational speed and storage. However, for simple flow systems they have shown that they can accurately represent turbulence over a range of scales that is sufficient for the purposes of this proposal. The MRI planning grant is intended to fund preliminary studies that will allow to 1) develop the capability to simulate turbulent flames, and 2) develop tools to interpret the results of those simulations to improve the overall modeling effort.