Direct Numerical Simulation of Turbulent Non-premixed Combustion - Fundamental Insights towards Predictive Modeling

A 2005 INCITE Project

This project, led by Jacqueline Chen and Evatt Hawkes of Sandia National Laboratories in Livermore, California, was awarded 2.5 million processor-hours. The researchers will perform detailed three-dimensional combustion simulations of flames in which fuel and oxygen are not premixed. By better understanding the details of such flames, the researchers hope to gain insight into reducing pollutants and increasing efficiency in combustion devices. This research could have applications in such areas as jet aircraft engines, where fuel and oxidizers are not premixed for safety reasons, and in direct-injection internal combustion engines. These simulations would be the first-ever 3D direct numerical simulations with detailed chemistry of a fully developed turbulent, non-premixed flame.

Under certain conditions, this type of combustion can be extinguished, and this project will also try to gain a better understanding of this problem, as well as re-ignition of extinguished flames.

"We are thrilled at the unique opportunity that the INCITE award provides us," Chen said. "This vast award will enable us to make significant contributions to the challenging problem of understanding and modeling the interactions of turbulence and finite-rate chemical effects in non-premixed combustion. Ultimately, our plan is to share the resulting data with the turbulent combustion modeling community at large."