Direct numerical simulation of chemically reacting turbulence

Abstract

In this paper, we present two results of direct numerical simulation of chemically reacting flows. One is direct numerical simulation of chemically reacting two-dimensional mixing layer and the other is direct numerical simulation of chemically reacting compressible isotropic turbulence. As for the mixing layer, a low Mach number approximation was used to take into account the variable density effects on the flow fields and to clarify the effects of heat release and density difference of a mean flow. In the case of density difference, expansion and baroclinic torque has a negative contribution to the local vorticity transport in the high density side and a positive contribution in the low density side which results in an asymmetric vortical structure structure. Thes density difference suppresses the growth of mixing layer and causes the overshoot of mean velocity only in the high density side which coincides with an experimental result. Coupling effects of heat release and desnity difference are also investigated. As for the homogeneous turbulence, fully compressible Navier-Stokes equations are solved to clarify the interaction between turbulence and chemical reaction in turbulent diffusion flame. The chemical reaction is suppressed by the increase of heat release because of the decrease of density and local Reynolds number. However, the decay of enstrophy with heat release is slower than that without heat release because of strong baroclinic torque which is generated near the reaction zone. Also, large amount of heat release causes increase in turbulent energy through the pressure dilatation term. The pressure dilatation term shows the periodic fluctuation which has an acoustic time scale. The fluctuation is enhanced by the heat release and travels in the turbulent field as pressure and dilatation waves.