Modeling of rectangular counter flow heat-recirculating combustor

Abstract

The meso-scale, 3.5 turn Swiss-roll type counter flow heat recirculating combustor is modeled by a two dimensional finite-volume computational fluid dynamics (CFD) solver. The solver includes momentum, continuity, energy and n-1 species equations solvers. The flow inside combustor is assumed to be steady and laminar. Thus, the simulations are made up to Reynolds number of 300. The structural material is INCONEL-718. Propane is burned with air. One step global chemical reaction is assumed for chemical modeling. The effects of Reynolds number and the equivalence ratio is investigated. An increasing trend in peak temperature with increasing Reynolds number is observed for the same equivalence ratio. Furthermore, the reaction zone moves upstream to the inlet. As the equivalence ratio increases the reaction zone broadens towards the inlet. The maximum temperatures increases as well. The decreasing wall thermal conductivity causes the lean extinction limit equivalence ratio to decrease.