3. of Thermal Science Vol.4, No.

Flow Field C a l c u l a t i o n s for A f t e r b u r n e r

Zhao JiAnxing Liu QuRnzhong
Liu Hong

Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics

In this paper a calculation procedure for simulating the combustion flow in the afterburner with the heat shield, flame stabilizerand the contracting nozzle is described and ewluated by comparison with experimental data. The modified two-equation k - e model is employed to consider the turbulence effects, and the k - e - g turbulent combustion model is" used to determine the reaction rate. To take into account the influence of heat radiation on gas temperature distribution, heat flux model is applied to predictions of heat flux distributions. The solution domain spanned the entire region between centerline and afterburner wall, with the heat shield represented as a blockage to the mesh. The enthalpy equation and wall boundary of the heat shield require special handling for two passages in the afterburner. In order to make the computer program suitable to engineering applications, a subregional scheme is developed for calculating flow fields of complex geometries. The computational grids employed are 100x 100 and 333 x 100 (non-uniformly distributed). The numerical results are compared with experimental data. Agreement between predictions and measurements shows that the numerical method and the computational program used in the study are fairly reasonable and appropriate for primary design of the afterburner.
K e y w o r d s : c a l c u l a t i o n , c o m b u s t i o n flow, a f t e r b u r n e r .

INTRODUCTION For a long time, a typical empirical afterburner design and development approach based on extensive use of an experimental data base and correlations has been widely employed. Empirical methods, however, need long period of design and expensive test costs, and furthermore, the applicability of empirical methods developed for certain design concepts may not be suitable to some other novel or revolutionary afterburner concepts. A multidimensional calculation is utilized to provide a good understanding of afterburner internal flow field and therefore can be used for guiding afterburner design process. The reliable computer codes for direct prediction of these complicated flowfields also may realize a considerable time saving and reduce the design and development expense. So a computer code with the modified two equation turbulence model is developed and used for calculation of flow properties in the afterburner. The numerical method comprised of a staged mesh finite-volume, pressure-correction algorithm, applied to the versions of the ReynoldsReceived, 1995.

averaged Navier-Stokes equations. Stairstep boundaries are introduced along the walls of the afterburner and the heat shield in a way which closely simulates the complex flowpath contours. Wall functions are used for all solid surfaces. The special boundary treatment for the heat shield is necessary. The schematic calculation domain is shown in Fig.1. Its configuration chosen was preferred to that of a realistic afterburner geometry because of the consequent convenience of comparison between experimental and numerical values. The afterburner consists of the flame stabilizer, the heat shield and the jet nozzle. The afterburner is separated into the internal and external passages by the heat shield with a lot of row of multijet annulus. The heat shield is cooled with those multiple radially and axially injected annular jets which form gaseous films. For simplification, the calculation zone is divided into two parts-the front and the rear. The output data of the front are used for the input data of the rear part. In the front, the heat shield is partially with gradual expansion and the blockage of the stabilizer is 0.35. In the rear part, a cold air flow through the annular cooling pipe is utilized for reducing the outer wall temperature of the

130 afterburner. The jet nozzle is located at the exist of the afterburner. Profiles of velocities, fuel concentrations, combustion eflqciencies, wall temperature are predicted by the present approach for the primary design and development of the afterburner.

Journal of ThermM Science, Vol. 4, No.2, 1995

Pt
=

c~pk2 /~

The double correlation pu~b~ is approximated.

o~

-~;~' --r , o ~
where r~ the eddy diiSmivity, is given by:
r = ~ / ~

u~ ~ ~ stabilizer ~

'1

"1

"%

I i

heat shield

and a~ is designated as the turbulent Prandtl Number and Schmidt Number. The equations for the transport of m o m e n t u m and scalar quantities then revert to:
_

a. The front section outercasing ~

i,,---~
l . . . . U;V=-.Ii~

0 o~+ a r ~o,,~ a ~ -- (,'.....D = -o=--7- ~ t"~t~;]~ + o=. s

-

.,~. ~'.
h e a t shield

, ~ L~

~ ~ -:: ~ ~ . ~

~--~'-e~'~
i -===,-is) i

+,,,.(co,,,,) -~-~-~-~u' ~ @ jFIn,A]

o o
(r+

(~) (o)

.
b. The rear section

~'/'

Fig.1 Schematic calculation domain in the afterburner

The turbulence kinetic energy k and its rate of dissipation ~ are determined from the modeled equations shown below

MATHEMATICAL MODEL
1. G o v e r n i n g E q u a t i o n s The Reynolds-averaged equations governing the conservation of mass, momentum and the transport of a scalar are, in an Eulerian description.

O=~ (puje) = -ff~=~(

/~ &

) --

e_ _,.,_

c2pg2/k

(zb)
According to the modified stress modelling expression, the k - ~ turbulence model may be expressed as:

o~ (~) = 0

(1)

o
0 ~ ~ - ~ 7 ) + S

(2)
(3)

+,ig.(co, ~") k"~ ~m In~jilo=j' b-77=~ -~a=~

~=j(p'igjF..) = ~ Jr- " " k(TzO;r,j] Jr-

(Sa)

The Reynolds stresses,puiu) ~ are related to the local strain through the modified Bonssinesq's eddy viscosity concept[if:

~{C 1 [//~tt~xj ~(8b)

,g-tco,-,s-;- ~77=~J la'l] b-;7=j ~' - e,~}

"k1"5~l~t ]

-~g"(co'~'~)Tb-;7~s ~'t~'sl

k l's 0

(4)

where G~j = OuilOzj - Ouj/Oml is the rotational tensor. co is a constant. Its magnitude is obtained from experiments and its sign is given by mean velocity. It can be expressed by a symbolic function sign (co, ui). The turbulent eddy viscosity,/&, a scalar, is defined according to

where ue = #+Pt,/~ is the laminar viscosity, c~, Cl and ca are turbulent coemcients. For isotropic turbulence, these coet~cients are constants. But in non-isotropic flows, they are no longer constants. Empirical adjustmerit to the value of c~, and cl, cz may produce the appropriate curvature effect and better results.
2. T h e T u r b u l e n t C o m b u s t i o n M o d e l For turbulent combustion system, the effect of turbulent on combustion and that of combustion on the

Zhao Jianxing et el.

Flow Field Calculations for Afterburner

131

local turbulence make the turbulent combustion mechanism complex. The turbulence fluctuations bring about a change in the rate of break up of eddies. The combustion effects a change in viscosity and density because of chemical reaction. There exists no complete theory of the interaction of turbulence with reaction, despite of various combustion model. Among them, the k - E - g model presented by Spalding is most widely used in many practical combustion systems. This is because it yields a reaction rate which depends on the species concentration fluctuations and the rate of break-up of the eddies. It is simple and is easy to apply for engineering design. Its expression for the volumetric reaction rate of fuel is defined as[2]

Model [41 has been widely applied in the combustion field. The assumptions of this model allow the energy transfer in four principal coordinate. It can be expressed in the general from and be easily incorporated into existing computation schemes for the solution of the differential equations representing balances on mass momentum energy and chemical species. One of objections of this model is that there is no interlinkage between the axial and radial fluxes, this is physicaUy unrealistic. To cure this defect, the Demarco Flux Model [sl is used. d l d R~ = 4 K = ( 2 R , - P~ - ~ T 4) dx dz and (11)

R!.

CRpgl/ae/k

(9)

1d

r dR~

;K=(2P~

~T 4)

(12)

where CR is a coefficient of the model, g is the mean square fluctuating of fuel concentration, which may be obtained from its governing differential equation 0 O_

OzjPuJg =

Og

+ c lC9

e
-

where R~ and R~ are the axial and radial total radiation fluxes respectively. The radiant energy contribution to the source term in the enthalpy equation is expressed as 16 K =(1~ + R - 2~rT SH = --~ 4)

where Cgl and co2 are coefficients. It should be noted that different values of model coefficients are reported by various workers. According to Eq.(2), the reaction rate is obtained from a consideration of the influence of turbulence alone. Actually the reaction rate is related to turbulence and chemical kinetics. Therefore, the influence of temperature on the reaction rate has to be taken into account and the expression of C/z is expressed [a]
as

(13)

where Ka = 0.2mI,, + 0.1m~ is absorption coefficienL. The wall temperature of the heat shield is determined from a balance of energy e~(P~ - #T~) + a ( T - T~) -- 0 The first term is net radiation absorbed by the wall, the second term is the convected energy to the wall, the heat losses through the wall is neglected. COMPUTATIONAL METHOD 1. A f t e r b u r n e r Wall Cooling For simplicity no wall cooling pipe afterburner is generally used for internal flow field calculations of the afterburner. But, in the practical afterburner its wall temperature is quite high. To ensure a satisfactory afterburner casing life, it is important to keep wall temperature down to an acceptable level. Thus, there exists a cold airflow through an Annular passage surround the afterburner. The wall of a~terburner is cooled with the cold airflow. The heat transfer between the wall of the afterburner and hot gas as well as annulus air is shown in Fig.2. The wall is heated by radiation and convection from the hot gas. It is cooled by convection to the annulus airflow. According to heat transfer basic law-and heat flux equilibrium, the rate of heat transfer into the wall must be balanced by the rate of heat transfer outward.

{ AT* ~ 2

gl/2

(1 +

1/2

(lO)

where AT* = T! -- To is the temperature increment, T! is adiabatic temperature, To is initial temperature. c01 is the coefficient of the generation term of g. The variable g increases with the increase of %1, thus leading to an increase of the reaction rate. %2 may be considereal approximately as %2 ~ c2. Through computer optimization[3], the value of cg2 is 2.0 and cgl = 2/~rI.

3. The Radiation Model In the afterburner, due to high temperature, radiative heat transfer comprises an important mode of heat transfer. It is necessary to calculate radiative heat transfer for predicting heat flux distribution to the afterburner and heat shield walls and local temperature distribution. M a n y models have been proposed to account for radiation. A m o n g them, the Flux

132 qCA = qR2 + qc2 (14)

Journal of Thermal Science, Vol. 4, No.2, 1995

where qp~ and gc2 axe radiation heat flux from hot gas and convection heat flux from gas respectively, qCA is convection heat flux to annulus air Eq.(14) can be further simplified to
(a) unreasonable
ota(T,~o - Tao) = qR2 + ot2(T~ - T,~)

(b) reasonable

(15) Fig.3 Temperature profile near the heat shield

where the heat transfer coefficient = 4.6. lO-3GL'S~eh-lpr'4/(peDb) 's

13~ 2

and ~ = 4.6- IO-3GL'SAaH-IPr'4/(#,Dy) 's Here, Db and D f are the diameters of the afterburner and the outer passage respectively. GL is the rate of airflow and P r is Prandtl Number. outercasing G, - ~
U2~

3. T h e C a l c u l a t i o n o f E n t h a l p y At present, the definition of enthalpy generally indudes chemical energy, i.e.

1

h = % T + 2 ( u z + v 2) + m l , , . H,,

(16)

%A
. . . . . . . . . . . .

----'
. . . . . . . . . . . . . I I

k . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . i

%2

q2

U~,'-~

-4"1

In this study, based on this expression, predictions show that the wall temperature of the heat shield at the rear section of the afterburner is decreased with increasing axial length (Fig.4). This trend is not in accordance with the actual situation. It may be explained that on both sides of the heated sides the difference of fuel concentration makes a great difference of the value of enthalpy. When the energy equation is solved, over diffusions through many holes on the heat shield make the decrease in the enthalpy inside of the heat shield. As a result, the gas temperature inside of it decreases correspondingly.

Fig.2 The wall heat transfer in the afterburner

2. T h e F l a m e S p r e a d i n g A n g l e

In general, the flame spreading angle in the confined reacting flow is dependent on the reaction rate which is obtained by the EBU-Arrhenius model. According to this model, near the wall of the combustor, although fuel concentration is high, the gas temperature is low. The reaction rate obtained from Arrhenius formula is still low. The calculated flame spreading rate accords with the practical case. But in the present paper, the inlet temperature of the afterburner is already over 1000 K. If the reaction rate is calculated by the EBU-Arrhenius model, there is high temperature region near by the heat shield (Fig.3a). This calculated results are unreasonable. So the rate of flame spread is controlled by the gas density besides the EBU-Arrhenius model. The results show that the high temperature region is near the heat shield (Fig.3b). The distributions of gas temperature are reasonable.

* Exp --he

X/Dc
Fig.4 Wall temperature of the heat shield

To solve this problem the chemical energy of the fuel is not included, the enthalpy is defined as h -+

(17)

and the chemical energy of fuel added in the source term of the enthalpy equation.

Zhao Jianxing et al.

Flow Field Calculations for Afterburner (18) governing ellipticequations may be expressed as

133

Sh = 2K,,(R= + P~ - 2aT 4) + HluRi,,

Hence the enthalpy increases with the chemical reaction, calculated gas temperature profiles become reasonable. Distributions of the wall temperature of the heat shield are in agreement with the experimental data.

+s,

4. The Distribution o f Flow

The cold gas in the external passage of the heat shield flows into the internal passage of it through many rows of holes and cools the heat shield. The gas flow rates of the external passage have influence on the wall temperature of the heat shield. Differences of the distributing proportion of gas flow between two passages of the heat shield make the differences of distributions of gas temperature and heat shield. The distributing proportions of gas flow of double passages are controlled by distributions of outlet flow rate. 5. T h e E s t a b l i s h m e n t o f I g n i t i o n S o u r c e In the present study, the ignition boundary is set up at the rear wall of V gutter stabilizer located at the front. The gas temperature is assumed to be adiabatic temperature at the trailing edge wall of the stabilizer and near its rear wall region and there the fuel fraction is defined as zero. Calculations show that if initial conditions and mixture ratios are appropriate, the ignition source can ignite the mixture and make flame propagate, as well as form the stable combustion within the afterburner. 6. T h e H a n d l i n g o f t h e I n c l i n e d W a l l In this paper, there are inclined walls at the expanding section, contracting nozzle and V gutter stabilizer. At present, the stairstep and body-fitted coordinate methods can be used for the treatment of irregular boundaries and obstacles of various shapes. Although the latter can make the grid line in accordance with the irregular walls to improve the precision, its equation is very complex and it is very dif~cult to generate the grids of double passages. So, the stairstep approach is adopted to treat the inclined wall boundaries. To satisfy requirements of engineering application, there are 33 steps at 335 mm long inclined walls. The calculated results are in reasonable agreement with corresponding measurements. It shows this approach is appropriate for engineering design.

where ~b represents dependent variables, axial velocity n, radial velocity v, turbulent kinetic energy k and its dissipation rate z, enthalpy h, mixture fraction f , fuel fluctuation g, radiative heat fluxes P~ and P~ etc. The flow variables at inlet are assumed to be uniform. At exit the longitudinal gradient of all variables can be assumed to be vanish. Also at the outlet the continuity correction of mass flow should be made. On the axis of symmetry transverse gradients of all variables are zero and radial velocity v is zero. At the solid wall u = v = k = z = 0. Wall functions axe used for u, v, k,e, h, because of the large variation of turbulent transport coefficients in the region near wall. The walls of the afterburner and outer surface of the heat shield are assumed to be impermeable. So that the normal gradients of fuel concentration mf~ is zero. But at inside boundary of the heat shield, mf~ and h are handled with the wall function, calculations are reasonable.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS Fig.5 and Fig.6 show radial profiles of fuel concentration and gas temperature in the first section of the afterburner from which it can be seen that in front of the flame stabilizer, chemical reaction is not occurred, and fuel concentrations and gas temperature almost do not change. Near the trailing edge wall of the stabilizer, there exists a high temperature zone, where fuel concentration almost becomes zero.

0.5"

o.4i
0.3: 0.20.1~
0.0"

0.04

0.30

0.35

0.40

0.45 }.50 X/Dc

0.55

0.60

0.65

7. Conservation Equations and Boundary Conditions For turbulent recirculating and reacting flow, the

Fig.5 Fuel concentration distributions

(in the front section)

134
0.~*

Journal of Thermal Science, Vol. 4, No.2, 1995 gas t e m p e r a t u r e is f ~ r l y low and m / ~ is zero. In the inner passage of it, there exists a high t e m p e r a t u r e region between the heat shield and center line, where m y ~ is low. This explains that combustion takes place there. In Fig.11 calculated wall temperature profile of the afterburner ave compared to available measured data. Changes of measured wall temperature along the axial direction are greater than that of calculated wall temperature. 0.5 0.4

0.4. 0.3. 0.2. 0.1.

0.0

0.00

0.10

0.20

0.30
X/Dc

0.40

0.50

0.60 0,70

Fig.6 Radial temperature distributions (in the front section) Fig.7 demonstrates the radial distributions of axial velocity. In the inner passage of the heat shield there is high velocity zone, it m a y be explained t h a t due to combustion, the velocity increases with increase in gas temperature. Increasing with the axial distance, the combustion zone becomes large and velocity distribution gradually tend to be uniform. In the outer passage of the heat shield, no reaction occurs. Increasing with the axial distance, the velocity increases with the decrease in flow area. Fig.8 shows radial profiles of radial velocity. At the front section near the wall of the heat shield, radial velocity is negative. This is because radial jets penetrate into inner passage of the heat shield through the holes to cool the heat shield.
0 . 5 ~

~0.2 0.1 0.0

0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.5,0

x/Oc

Fig.9 Radial profiles of fuel concentration

0.5-

0.4. 0.3" 0.2 2

0.4

0.I 0.0 0.00 0.50

1.00 1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50

C~ 0.3 0.2
0.1

X/Dc

Fig.10 Radial profiles of gas temperature .... , . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0.50 1.oo 1.5o 2.00 2.50

0.0

o.oo

3.oo"3.~o

lO00~0
v

Exp
Per

X/Dc

Fig.7 Radial distributionsof axial velocity 0.50.4. 0.3.

t~

9~
8808~
. . . . . . . . , . . . . , . . . . . . . . . , . . . . ,

0.20.1 0.0 ~ 0.00 0.50 1.00 1.50 2,00 2.50 3.00 3.50

0.o0

o50

l.o0

1,50 X/ Dc

2.00

2.50

3.o0

Fig.11 Comparison between predicted and measured wall temperature of the afterburner The wall temperature of the heat shield in Fig.12 indicates that the wall temperature increases with increase in axial distance. Calculations is in agreement with the experimental data.

;C/ Dc F i g . 8 Radial velocity profiles

Fig.9 and 10 illustrate the radial distributions of fuel concentration and temperature. In the outer passage of the heat shield, there is no combustion. The

Zhao Jianxing et al. 1400$

Flow Field Calculations for Afterburner

0.5
$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

135
""

1300. 1200. b,., 11001000"

9 0 0 0

0.4 0.3 /--Pro 0.2 0.1

00. , t

0.40 0.80 1.20 1.60 2.00 2.40 2.'8~)' '3120 X/Dc

~ . . . .

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

. . . .

i , , ,

Fig.12 Comparison between predicted and measured heat shield temperature The comparison between calculated and measured exit temperature distribution and measured data is shown in Fig.13. The calculated exit temperature are in agreement with the corresponding measurement. 0.4-"

1.50 2.00 2.50 3.00 3.50 X/Dc Fig.15 Radial profiles of radial radiative heat flux

0.0 . . . . . 0.00 0.50

..

. . . .

1.00

CONCLUSIONS In this paper, because the flame spreading rate is controlled by the gas density and the chemical energy is not included in the enthalpy, the gas temperature distributions and the wall temperature of the heat shield are more reasonable. Fair agreement of predicted values with the experimental d a t a shows a calculation procedure of the afterburner with heat shield is reasonable and can be used for the primary design, and reduces the volume of experimental a n d tuning work.

0.3"

--Pro *F~ 0.2 ~

~t

0.1 0.0 , 400

/
'

800

'

'

'

1200 1600 T(K)

2000

IK

2400

REFERENCES

Fig.13 Comparison between calculated and measured exit temperature Fig.14 and Fig.15 show axial and radial radiative heat flux distributions, respectively. It is observed that radiative heat flux increases with increasing the axial distance, because of an increase in temperature. 0.5 0.4~ 0.3

0'2 1 0.1 0.0 . . . . , . . . . . . .

0.1111 0.50 1.~

1.50 2.00 X/Dc

2.50

3.00 3.50

Fig.14 Radial profiles of axial radiative heat flux

[1] Zhao, J.X. and Andrews, G.E. "Numerical Modelling of Co-fi-ed Swirler Stabilised Premixed Flames," ICAS Proceedings, Sweden, p.948, (1990). [2] Mason, H.B. and Spalding, O.B. "Prediction of Reaction Rate in Turbulent Premixed Boundary-Layer Flow," Combustion Institute European Symposium, (1973). [3] Zhao, J.X. and Yi, Y. "Numerical Study on Turbulent Combustion Model," Proceedings of2nd APISCEU, Beijing, (1993). [4] Gasman, A.D. and Lockwood, F.C. "Incorporation of a Flux Model for Radiation into a Finite-Difference Procedure for Surface Calculation," Fourteenth Symposium (Int.) on Combustion, Petersburg, p.611, (1972). [5] Khalil, E.E. l/Modelling of Furnaces and Combustors)>, Press ABACUS, Kent (1982). [6] Baker, S.J. and McGuirk, J.J. "Multijet Annulus/CoreFlow Mixing Experiments and Calculations," J. of Eng/neering for Gas Turbines and Power," 115, 473, (1993). [7] McGuirk, J.J. and pAlma, J.M.L.M. "The Flow Inside a Model Gas Turbine Combustor: Calculations," J. of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 115, 594, (1993).