Pressurized turbulent premixed CH4/H2/air flame validation using OpenFOAM

Abstract

In this study, we use the Algebraic Flame Surface Wrinkling (AFSW) model to conduct numerical simulations of the PSI (Paul Scherrer Institute) high pressure, turbulent premixed Bunsen flame experiments. The AFSW model was implemented in the open-source computational fluid dynamics solver OpenFOAM, and the numerical simulations were performed using a two-dimensional axial-symmetric model with the standard k– ɛ turbulence model with wall functions. The numerical simulations were performed for two different fuel/air mixtures, namely, 100% CH4 volumetric ratio and 60% CH4 + 40% H2 volumetric ratio. The thermophysical and transport properties of the mixture were calculated as a function of temperature using the library Cantera (an open-source suite of tools for problems involving chemical kinetics, thermodynamics, and transport processes), together with the GRI-Mech 3.0 chemical mechanism. It was found that the outcome of the AFSW model implemented in OpenFOAM was in good agreement with the experimental results, quantitatively and qualitatively. Further assessment of the results showed that, as much as the chemistry, the turbulence model and turbulent boundary/initial conditions significantly impact the flame shape and height.