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1. Effect of Variable Outlets on the Nonreactive Flowfield of a Right-Cylindrical Cyclonic Chamber

   https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2020-3823  

   Sharma, Gaurav; Majdalani, Joseph (August 2020, 2020 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum)

   null (Ed.)

   This work focuses on the use of a finite-volume solver to describe the wall-bounded cyclonic flowfield that evolves in a swirl-driven thrust chamber. More specifically, a non-reactive, cold-flow simulation is carried out using an idealized chamber configuration of a square-shaped, right-cylindrical enclosure with eight tangential injectors and a variable nozzle size. For simplicity, we opt for air as the working fluid and perform our simulations under steady, incompressible, and inviscid flow conditions. First, a meticulously developed mesh that consists of tetrahedral elements is generated in a manner to minimize the overall skewness, especially near injectors; second, this mesh is converted into a polyhedral grid to improve convergence characteristics and accuracy. After achieving convergence in all variables, our three velocity components are examined and compared to an existing analytical solution obtained by Vyas and Majdalani (Vyas, A. B., and Majdalani, J., “Exact Solution of the Bidirectional Vortex,” AIAA Journal, Vol. 44, No. 10, 2006, pp. 2208-2216). We find that the numerical model is capable of predicting the expected forced vortex behavior in the inner core region as well as the free vortex tail in the inviscid region. Moreover, the results appear to be in fair agreement with the Vyas–Majdalani solution derived under similarly inviscid conditions, and thus resulting in a quasi complex-lamellar profile. In this work, we are able to ascertain the axial independence of the swirl velocity no matter the value of the outlet radius, which confirms the key assumption made in most analytical models of wall-bounded cyclonic motions. Moreover, the pressure distribution predicted numerically is found to be in fair agreement with both theoretical formulations and experimental measurements of cyclone separators. The bidirectional character of the flowfield is also corroborated by the axial and radial velocity distributions, which are found to be concurrent with theory. Then using parametric trade studies, the sensitivity of the numerical simulations to the outlet diameter of the chamber is explored to determine the influence of outlet nozzle variations on the mantle location and the number of mantles. Since none of the cases considered here promote the onset of multiple mantles, we are led to believe that more factors are involved in producing more mantles than one. Besides the exit diameter, the formation of a multiple mantle structure may be influenced by the physical boundary conditions, nozzle radius, inlet curvature, and length. In closing, we show that the latter plays a significant role in controlling the development of backflow regions inside the chamber. 

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2. Effects of Varying Characteristic Injection Parameters and Geometric Configurations on the Cyclonic Flowfield in a Bidirectional Vortex Chamber Using Velocity Inlet Conditions

   https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2023-0136  

   Sharma, Gaurav; Majdalani, Joseph (January 2023, AIAA SCITECH 2023 Forum)

   We vary the inflow properties in a finite-volume solver to investigate their effects on the computed cyclonic motion in a right-cylindrical vortex chamber. The latter comprises eight tangential injectors through which steady-state air is introduced under incompressible and inviscid conditions. To minimize cell skewness around injectors, a fine tetrahedral mesh is implemented first and then converted into polyhedral elements, namely, to improve convergence characteristics and precision. Once convergence is achieved, our principal variables are evaluated and compared using a range of inflow parameters. These include the tangential injector speed, count, diameter, and elevation. The resulting computations show that well-resolved numerical simulations can properly predict the forced vortex behavior that dominates in the core region as well as the free vortex tail that prevails radially outwardly, beyond the point of peak tangential speed. It is also shown that augmenting the mass influx by increasing the number of injectors, injector size, or average injection speed, further amplifies the vortex strength and all peak velocities while shifting the mantle radially inwardly. Overall, the axial velocity is found to be the most sensitive to vertical displacements of the injection plane. By raising the injection plane to the top half portion of the chamber, the flow character is markedly altered, and an axially unidirectional vortex is engendered, particularly, with no upward motion or mantle formation. Conversely, the tangential and radial velocities are found to be axially independent and together with the pressure distribution prove to be the least sensitive to injection plane relocations. 

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3. Effects of various inlet parameters on the computed flow development in a bidirectional vortex chamber

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089443  

   Sharma, Gaurav; Majdalani, Joseph (April 2022, Physics of Fluids)

   We vary the inflow properties in a finite-volume solver to investigate their effects on the computed cyclonic motion in a right-cylindrical vortex chamber. The latter comprises eight tangential injectors through which steady-state air is introduced under incompressible and inviscid conditions. To minimize cell skewness around injectors, a fine tetrahedral mesh is implemented first and then converted into polyhedral elements, namely, to improve convergence characteristics and precision. Once convergence is achieved, our principal variables are evaluated and compared using a range of inflow parameters. These include the tangential injector speed, count, diameter, and elevation. The resulting computations show that well-resolved numerical simulations can properly predict the forced vortex behavior that dominates in the core region as well as the free vortex tail that prevails radially outwardly, beyond the point of peak tangential speed. It is also shown that augmenting the mass influx by increasing the number of injectors, injector size, or average injection speed further amplifies the vortex strength and all peak velocities while shifting the mantle radially inwardly. Overall, the axial velocity is found to be the most sensitive to vertical displacements of the injection plane. By raising the injection plane to the top half portion of the chamber, the flow character is markedly altered, and an axially unidirectional vortex is engendered, particularly, with no upward motion or mantle formation. Conversely, the tangential and radial velocities are found to be axially independent and together with the pressure distribution prove to be the least sensitive to injection plane relocations. 

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4. High-Fidelity Modeling and Simulation of Primary Breakup fo a Gasoline Surrogate Jet

   Zhang, Bo; Ling, Yue (May 2019, Proc. ILASS-Americas 30th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems 30th Annual Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems)

   In the present work, we model and simulate the injection and atomization of a gasoline surrogate jet by detailed numerical simulation. The surrogate fuel has a low volatility and thus no phase change occurs in the process. The nozzle geometry and operation conditions are similar to the Engine Combustion Network (ECN) “Spray G”. We focus the present study on the near field where inter-jet interaction is of secondary importance. Therefore, we have considered only one of the eight jets in the original Spray G injectors. The liquid is injected from the inlet into a chamber with stagnant gas. A tangential component of velocity is introduced at the inlet to mimic the complex internal flow in the original spray G injector, which leads to the jet deflection. A parametric study on the inlet tangential velocity is carried out to identify the proper value to be used. Simulations are performed with the multiphase flow solver, Basilisk, on an adaptive mesh. The gas-liquid interface is captured by the volume-of-fluid method. The numerical results are compared to the X-ray experimental data for the jet deflection angle and the temporal variation of penetration length. The vortex dynamics in the near field are also presented by the assistance of the vortex-identification criterion. 

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5. Solid rocket motor internal ballistics using an enhanced surface-vorticity panel technique

   https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0069075  

   DiMaggio, Griffin_A; Hartfield, Jr., Roy_J; Majdalani, Joseph; Ahuja, Vivek (October 2021, Physics of Fluids)

   This work explores the use of surface-mesh flow solvers to model solid rocket internal ballistics with arbitrary grain geometry. Specifically, a surface-vorticity approach, originally intended for external flow applications, is adapted for internal flow analysis using boundary conditions that are suitable for solid rocket motors. In this study, an enhanced panel code is shown to be capable of resolving internal rocket flowfields with a striking level of fidelity and with such a degree of computational efficiency to make it valuable in the conceptual and preliminary design of rocket motors. In this process, the vortex paneling approach embodied within FlightStream® is refined using boundary conditions appropriate for solid rocket rotational flows. The simulation results are then compared to existing analytical solutions for cylindrical and planar chamber configurations exhibiting small taper angles and uniform headwall injection. For a more realistic validation case, the space shuttle's reusable solid rocket motor (RSRM) is examined. Guided by the analytical models, simple rotational and compressibility corrections are incorporated into the solver, and the results are subsequently compared to two other computational models and experimental measurements gathered from qualification motors. For the basic configurations, our results are shown to agree well with theoretical predictions. For the RSRM case, the corrected solution agrees well with the validation data in the first half of the motor; however, it becomes less robust in the aft region unless a recirculation zone boundary patch is applied; the latter approximates the added vorticity introduced by intersegmental gaps and the submerged nozzle effects. 

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