Article: Dynamics of multiple swirling burner flows Journal: Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal (PCFD) 2002 Vol.2 No.1 pp.20 - 32 Abstract: Numerical predictions of four counter and co-rotating swirling flows issuing from small-scale low NO<SUB align="right"><SMALL>x</SMALL></SUB> burners have been performed and compared to laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) measurements. The results demonstrate that the near-burner features, such as the central reverse flow zones and the mixing of the burner jets, are resolved correctly by the computational model. Predicted tangential velocity components are in good agreement with the LDA measurements, and show the correct swirl velocity profiles and rate of decay. The anti-gearing phenomenon associated with the entrainment pattern of the counter and co-rotating burner arrays, where flow is entrained into the centre of the array against the direction of swirl, is captured by the LDA measurements and is predicted by the CFD model. Predicted rates of entrainment of surrounding air by the counter and co-rotating burners intimate that a counter-rotating burner array entrains at a greater rate than a single burner. A co-rotating system, however, entrains at a lower rate. The ability to control levels of entrainment may provide the means of further controlling air staging in real furnaces. The research demonstrates that multi-burner systems may be characterised in terms of the number of burners, their rotational direction, the burner pitch and the degree of entrainment. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: Dynamics of multiple swirling burner flows

Authors: A. Aroussi, S. J. Pickering, S. Tarr

Addresses: School of Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing Engineering and Management, Nottingham University, NG7 2RD, UK. School of Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing Engineering and Management, Nottingham University, NG7 2RD, UK. School of Mechanical, Materials, Manufacturing Engineering and Management, Nottingham University, NG7 2RD, UK

Abstract: Numerical predictions of four counter and co-rotating swirling flows issuing from small-scale low NO_x burners have been performed and compared to laser Doppler anemometry (LDA) measurements. The results demonstrate that the near-burner features, such as the central reverse flow zones and the mixing of the burner jets, are resolved correctly by the computational model. Predicted tangential velocity components are in good agreement with the LDA measurements, and show the correct swirl velocity profiles and rate of decay. The anti-gearing phenomenon associated with the entrainment pattern of the counter and co-rotating burner arrays, where flow is entrained into the centre of the array against the direction of swirl, is captured by the LDA measurements and is predicted by the CFD model. Predicted rates of entrainment of surrounding air by the counter and co-rotating burners intimate that a counter-rotating burner array entrains at a greater rate than a single burner. A co-rotating system, however, entrains at a lower rate. The ability to control levels of entrainment may provide the means of further controlling air staging in real furnaces. The research demonstrates that multi-burner systems may be characterised in terms of the number of burners, their rotational direction, the burner pitch and the degree of entrainment.

Keywords: burner flows; code validation; laser doppler anemometry (LDA); optical anemometry; swirling flows.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2002.003213

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2002 Vol.2 No.1, pp.20 - 32

Published online: 19 Aug 2003 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article

Title: Dynamics of multiple swirling burner flows

Keep up-to-date