Development of a vortexing combustor (VC) for space/water heating applications (cold flow modeling): Technical progress report No. 3

Technical Report · Mon Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:5113924

Nieh, S

A series of test runs of the exploratory VC model were performed. The effects of major design/operation parameters on the hydrodynamic structure and the particle behavior in the vortexing chamber were qualitatively verified. Systematic tests demonstrated that the particle distribution in the vortexing chamber can be controlled, for instance, by properly arranging the primary- and secondary-air flow ratio. Measurements of the swirling gas flow field on the bench-scale VC model have also been made. A preliminary but clear picture of the vortices and streamlines in the vortexing chamber was attained. The results obtained to date are quite encouraging. With regard to the mathematicl modeling of the VC processes, the k - epsilon turbulence model has been successfully incorporated in our computer code. Discussions and comparison of calculated results with the k - epsilon model and the Constant Viscosity Model (CVM) are presented. Future efforts will be focused on further measurements of the gas flow field in the bench-scale VC model. Development of instrumentation for swirling particle flow and preparation of particle flow field measurements are on-going. Based on the results given by k - epsilon model, a more advanced and realistic Algebraic Stress Model (ASM) will be adopted to further improve the prediction of the swirling turbulent gas flow in VC. With the experience learned in the exploratory and bench-scale VC models, the design/fabrication of the large VC model is to be conducted. 4 refs., 8 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Catholic Univ. of America, Washington, DC. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering
• DOE Contract Number: AC22-87PC79661
• OSTI ID: 5113924
• Report Number(s): DOE/PC/79661-T1; ON: DE88009619
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
014000 -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Combustion
32 ENERGY CONSERVATION, CONSUMPTION, AND UTILIZATION
320100* -- Energy Conservation
Consumption
& Utilization-- Buildings
42 ENGINEERING
421000 -- Engineering-- Combustion Systems
BUILDINGS
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COAL
COMBUSTION
COMBUSTORS
DESIGN
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENERGY SOURCES
FLUID MECHANICS
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
HEATING
MATERIALS
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
MECHANICS
OXIDATION
PROGRESS REPORT
RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS
SPACE HEATING
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
VORTICES
WATER HEATING