A comparative study of combustion models for simulating partially premixed swirling natural gas flames

Combustion models are important for simulating chemical reaction properties and the turbulence-chemistry interaction (TCI) in combustion. However, little attention has been paid to the temperature/species distributions/velocity flow fields predicted by different combustion models and their requirements for mesh resolution. In the present work, a partially premixed swirling natural gas flame was separately simulated by two commonlyused combustion models in Reynolds-Averaged-Numerical-Simulation (RANS) simulations: the flamelet generated manifold (FGM) model and the eddy dissipation concept (EDC) model. It is found that the EDC model requires a higher quality of mesh than the FGM model from the temperature and species distributions perspective. It is possible for the EDC model to overpredict temperature, however, such a problem can be solved by improving the mesh quality. The combustion models do not differ obviously for the mesh refinement for flow fields. The further analysis find that the EDC model brings forward the reaction location (11 mm upstream than the FGM model). The weakened turbulence mixing and early chemical reactions make the EDC model derive discrepancies with measured values, resulting from the variations between its modelling principles and actual applications in the software ANSYS Fluent. The low turbulence viscosity makes the EDC model flame thicker. Overall, the FGM model showed better suitability and accuracy for such a partially-premixed swirling natural gas flame. This work connects the two common combustion models and partially premixed swirling flame characteristics in the RANS simulations, and highlights the effects on the temperature/species concentration/turbulence flow fields, in concerns of mesh resolution and reaction properties rather than sole applications, which can provide foundation for subsequent researchers.

Automated summary

This study compared the performance of two commonly used combustion models in simulating a swirling natural gas flame and found that the EDC model requires higher quality mesh for temperature and species distributions and predicts the reaction location earlier than the FGM model. The low turbulence viscosity in the EDC model results in a thicker flame. Overall, the FGM model showed better suitability and accuracy for simulating this partially-premixed swirling natural gas flame.