MODELING FLOW AND TEMPERATURE IN A COMBUSTOR WITH VOLUME-DISTRIBUTED OXIDATION

Analytical solutions of the viscous gas equations are applied to model velocity and temperature fields in a vortex combustor with volume-distributed oxidation. The solutions show that swirl generates high-speed meridional circulation, which occupies around 2/3 of the combustor volume and serves as a flame holder and a double mixer. It is found that particle trajectories have double-spiral geometry in both the circulation and flow-through regions. The particle residence time is larger by an order of magnitude than the mixing time. In addition to the internal circulation, the external recirculation of a share of the flue gas is analyzed. Consideration of the mass and energy balance reveals the optimal share value. A proof-of-concept experiment confirms the modeling predictions.