Parametric Study of the Effects of a Vortex Generator on the Combustion Characteristics of Liquid Petroleum Gas and Physical Air–Fuel Flow on a Slot Burner

Abstract

We conducted a numerical study of the effects of a vortex generator (VG) on the combustion characteristics and physical fluid flow of LPG on a porous bluff-body slot burner (PBSB) model, validating the numerical and experimental results of the temperature distribution and mixture flow velocity. The VG position (fuel (F) and air (A) slots), direction (clockwise, CW, and counterclockwise, CCW), aspect ratio (AR), and distance (S) were investigated parametrically in our porous vortex generator slot burner (PVGSB) model. According to our results, the VGSB model with a VG angle of 60°, CW direction, aspect ratio of 0.4, and VG distance of 0 mm enhanced the flame temperature by 24.4% due to a greater vortex influence. Moreover, applying a reverse triangular bluff body to the VGSB model had a stronger effect on the vortices and swirl flow of the mixture compared to the cylindrical bluff body, achieving 34.9% higher combustion temperatures compared to the referenced PBSB model. This numerical study of using LPG combustion on a slot burner with VGs and a reverse triangular bluff body, which we refer to as the VGSB model, could be applied to enhancing physical air–fuel flow and the flame temperature as characteristics of combustion.