Engine designers want computer programs to help them invent ways to use less fuel and produce less pollution. But the computational models currently available are not adequate to predict some important effects: such as how blends of future carbon-neutral bio-fuels will change engine performance.
This research aims to provide an accurate and practical model for the injection and combustion of liquid fuel blends. High-resolution simulation data is analysed to provide fundamental information on the coupling between gasses and liquids. This information is being used to synthesise advanced models for turbulence, evaporation and combustion into a practical model framework.
The principal activities in this research are: 1) Direct Numerical Simulation of turbulent combustion, of turbulent sprays, and of multi-component droplet evaporation; 2) Development of the Large Eddy Simulation method for application to energy intensive industrial processes - gas turbine combustion in particular.
Figure one: Simulation by C.S.Yoo, E.S.Richardson, R.Sankaran, and J.H. Chen. Visualisation by H. Yu and R.W. Grout. This is a visualization of a turbulent lifted Ethylene/air jet flame in an autoignitive coflow with tracer particles colored by temperature
