Research Projects:
- Simulation of Premixed Flame Turbulence Interaction using the Linear Eddy Model (with Reetesh Ranjan):
The interaction of a premixed flame with the flow turbulence is a multi-scale problem, which requires better numerical algorithms and models to accurately and efficiently capture the physical quantities of interest. The problem is of fundamental nature but it has various engineering applications, for example design of internal combustion engines, design of safety standards, dynamics and properties turbulent thermonuclear flames etc. The multiple scales present in such problems are associated with the length- and velocity-scale ratios of the turbulent flow and the premixed flame and lead to a definition of different regimes for the turbulent premixed flames interaction. These regimes are classified as wrinkled flamelets, corrugated flamelets, thin reaction zone and broken reaction zone. The objective of this research activity is to demonstrate that the linear eddy model (LEM) coupled with a large eddy simulation (LES) is a regime independent comprehensive and general purpose model that can predict the premixed flame interaction with the flow turbulence accurately. In past studies, it has been demonstrated that the LEM coupled with LES as a turbulent combustion model can predict structural and propagation characteristics of flames in the wrinkled flamelets, corrugated flamelets and thin reaction regime. The current effort is aimed at investigating the predictive capability of LEM-LES as a turbulent combustion model for different regimes ranging from corrugated to broken reaction zone in an idealized setting of a planar flame interacting with the flow turbulence, where the turbulence intensity is increased relative to the laminar flame speed. The investigation will examine changes in the structural features of the flame such as curvature and strain-rate effects, role of turbulent diffusion with an increase in the turbulence intensity and flame-quenching phenomena.