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Large-eddy simulation of mixing in a recirculating shear flow
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 08 March 2010
Abstract
The flow field and mixing in an expansion-ramp geometry is studied using large-eddy simulation (LES) with subgrid scale (SGS) modelling. The expansion-ramp geometry was developed to investigate enhanced mixing and flameholding characteristics while maintaining low total-pressure losses. Passive mixing was considered without taking into account the effects of chemical reactions and heat release, an approximation that is adequate for experiments conducted in parallel. The primary objective of the current work is to validate the LES–SGS closure in the case of passive turbulent mixing in a complex configuration and, if successful, to rely on numerical simulation results for flow details unavailable via experiment. Total (resolved-scale plus subgrid contribution) probability density functions (p.d.f.s) of the mixture fraction are estimated using a presumed beta-distribution model for the subgrid field. Flow and mixing statistics are in good agreement with the experimental measurements, indicating that the mixing on a molecular scale is correctly predicted by the LES–SGS model. Finally, statistics are shown to be resolution-independent by computing the flow for three resolutions, at twice and four times the resolution of the coarsest simulation.
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Matheou et al. supplementary movie
Movie 1. Mixture fraction iso-surfaces for Case A1, lowerst resolution (top stream Mach number is 0.35 and bottom to top stream mass-injection ratio is 0.09). Three values of the mixture fraction are plotted: 0.8, 0.5, and 0.2, corresponding to red, green, and blue iso-surfaces, respectively. In this lowerst-resolution LES, the recirculation-region length is overpredicted.
Matheou et al. supplementary movie
Movie 2. Mixture fraction iso-surfaces for Case A2, medium resolution (top stream Mach number is 0.35 and bottom to top stream mass-injection ratio is 0.09). Three values of the mixture fraction are plotted: 0.8, 0.5, and 0.2, corresponding to red, green, and blue iso-surfaces, respectively. The increase in resolution compared to Case A1 (Movie 1) captures the flow features more accurately. Spanwise-organised structrures can be observed in the primary shear layer. Near the bottom wall, in the recirculation region, the flow is moving upstream forming a secondary mixing layer at the base of the ramp (x ~ 0.1). The primary shear layer reattachment location and recirculating flow unsteady characteristics are also visible.
Matheou et al. supplementary movie
Movie 3. Mixture fraction iso-surfaces for Case A3, highest resolution (top stream Mach number is 0.35 and bottom to top stream mass-injection ratio is 0.09). Three values of the mixture fraction are plotted: 0.8, 0.5, and 0.2, corresponding to red, green, and blue iso-surfaces, respectively. The finer grid allows the resolution of smaller spatial scales. Howerver, the flow features are almost identical as the medium resolution case (Movie 2).
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