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Fluidized bed technology is used for thermal conversion of solid fuels (combustion and gasification) and is especially suitable for conversion of low-rank fuels such as biomass and waste. The performance of fluidized bed units depends on the fuel mixing and fuel-gas contact. Thus, it is important to understand these two phenomena in order to develop models for reliable design and scale up of fluidized bed units. This work investigates, under conditions representative for industrial fluidized bed units, the lateral fuel mixing (in a unit with a cross section of 1.44 m2 both at hot and cold conditions) and the bubble flow distribution (in a 1.2 m-wide 2-dimensional unit). The work confirms previous findings on the formation of preferred bubble paths and shows that these bubble paths are enhanced by lowering the fluidization velocity, increasing the dense bed height and reducing the pressure drop across the gas distributor. From the fuel mixing experiments, an estimation of the lateral effective dispersion coefficient to values in the order of 10-3 m2/s is obtained under both hot and cold conditions. The experiments under cold conditions give additional qualitative information on the fuel mixing patterns such as flotsam/jetsam tendencies. The camera probe developed for fuel tracking under hot conditions enables to study the fuel dispersion under real operation at relevant industrial scales. Based on the characteristics of the bubble path flow, a model for the horizontal fuel dispersion on a macroscopic scale is formulated and shown to be able to give a good description of the experimental data. As opposed to the commonly applied diffusion-type modeling of the lateral solids dispersion, the proposed model facilitates integration with models of the bubble flow. Thus, the present modeling work is a first step to provide a modeling of the fuel dispersion, which uses as inputs only the main operational parameters of the fluidized bed.

The purpose of this research was to determine if it is feasible to apply Lorentz mixing to supersonic diffusion flames, such as those found in SCRAMjet engines. The combustion rate in supersonic diffusion flames is limited by the rate at which air and fuel mix. Lorentz mixing increases turbulence within a flow, which increases the rate at which species mix and thus increases the rate of combustion. In order to determine the feasibility of Lorentz mixing for this application, a two-dimensional model of supersonic reacting flow with the application of a Lorentz force has been examined numerically. The flow model includes the complete Navier-Stokes equations, the ideal gas law, and terms to account for diffusion of chemical species, heat release due to chemical reaction, change in species density due to chemical reaction, and the Lorentz forces applied during Lorentz mixing. In addition, the Baldwin-Lomax turbulence model is used to approximate turbulent transport properties. A FORTRAN program using the MacCormack method, a commonly used computational fluid dynamics algorithm, was used to solve the governing equations. The accuracy of the program was verified by using the program to model flows with known solutions. Results were obtained for flows with Lorentz forces applied over a series of power levels and frequencies. The results show significant increases in the rate of combustion when Lorentz mixing is applied. The amount of power required to drive Lorentz mixing is small relative to the rate at which energy is released in the chemical reaction. An optimum frequency at which to apply Lorentz mixing was also found for the flow being considered. The results of the current study show that Lorentz mixing looks promising for increasing combustion rates in supersonic reacting flows, and that future study is warranted. In particular, researchers attempting to improve combustion in SCRAMjet engines may want to consider Lorentz mixing as a way to improve combustion. / Graduation date: 1997

A scramjet inlet was designed for use on a small scale, Mach six, ethylene-fuelled vehicle. The inlet used strut-based cantilevered fuel injectors and a well-defined mixing duct to mix fuel prior to the combustor. Designed using theoretical and numerical analyses, the resulting inlet configuration consisted of a single body shock inlet with vertical fuel injector struts and four cantilevered injectors per strut side. This inlet was 80 cm long and 42 cm high. Numerical analysis of the vehicle was conducted with computational fluid dynamics by solving the Favre-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations; turbulence was simulated using the Wilcox k-ω model. Multispecies simulations in two and three dimensions were used to evaluate the design. Analysis of the simulated flow features, thrust potential and mixing efficiency demonstrated favourable vehicle performance. In particular, the inlet allowed for complete combustion when lean equivalence ratios of less than 0.7 were used.

A scramjet inlet was designed for use on a small scale, Mach six, ethylene-fuelled vehicle. The inlet used strut-based cantilevered fuel injectors and a well-defined mixing duct to mix fuel prior to the combustor. Designed using theoretical and numerical analyses, the resulting inlet configuration consisted of a single body shock inlet with vertical fuel injector struts and four cantilevered injectors per strut side. This inlet was 80 cm long and 42 cm high. Numerical analysis of the vehicle was conducted with computational fluid dynamics by solving the Favre-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations; turbulence was simulated using the Wilcox k-ω model. Multispecies simulations in two and three dimensions were used to evaluate the design. Analysis of the simulated flow features, thrust potential and mixing efficiency demonstrated favourable vehicle performance. In particular, the inlet allowed for complete combustion when lean equivalence ratios of less than 0.7 were used.

A swirl injector for a rocket engine being developed by \emph{AESIR} (Association of EngineeringStudents in Rocketry) was simulated with different geometric parameters. The swirl injector is usedto atomize the ethanol used as fuel and to create a spray that mixes well with the oxidizer withinthe combustion chamber. Inlet slot angle (90, 75, 60 and 45 degrees), swirl chamber length (15, 20and 25 mm) and outlet orifice diameter (3, 6 and 9 mm) were examined.Previous studies in swirl injectors show that CFD can be used to analyze the flow in such aninjector, furthermore theoretical models exist that can predict some of the general characteristicsof the flow. Previous studies have also simulated transient behavior and flow features effectingbreakup of fuel flowing through a swirl injector.A steady state simulation using Volume of Fluid (VOF) multiphase modeling and $k$-$\omega$ \emph{SST}turbulence modeling was used to simulate the swirl injector intended for the rocket engine. It wasfound that a wider outlet orifice would give a wider cone angle of spray. This is desirable in thecurrent rocket engine design as it will promote greater mixing of fuel and oxidizer higher up in thecombustion chamber. No large variances was observed when different inlet slot angles was simulated. Ashorter swirl chamber length reduced the amount of losses in energy due to viscous forces. The flowafter the outlet orifice was not simulated so the effect of turbulence kinetic energy and energylosses outside of the swirl injector have not been analyzed, previous studies have indicated thatturbulent kinetic energy does have an effect on the breakup and atomization of the fuel.It was concluded that using a wider outlet orifice of 9 mm gave the best results out of the differentgeometric parameters analyzed and the swirl chamber length should be a short as possible.

A diesel fuel injector has been modified to allow rotationaround its axis, driven by an electric motor. Injections at upto 6000 rpm from the rotating injector have been investigatedunder the influence of air swirl on one optical research engineand one optically accessible heavy-duty diesel engine. The experiments show that changing from a normal, staticinjection to a sweeping injection has profound effects on sprayformation, dispersion and penetration. This influences thefuel/air-mixing, autoignition, combustion rate and emissionsformation. The spray propagation is stronger influenced byinjector rotation than by air swirl. The air entrainment into the spray increases forcounter-swirl rotation of the injector and this speeds up thevaporization and decreases the formation of soot. In addition,the oxidation of soot is enhanced since the counter-swirlinjection forces the intense fuel-rich and soot containingspray core to penetrate into fresh air instead of replenishingthe rich regions in the head of the spray. Fuel accumulationalong the piston bowl wall decreases as an effect of thereduced penetration with counter-swirl injection. Altogether,this decreases the smoke emissions for low and intermediateengine loads. For the combustion system studied, counter-swirl rotation ofthe injector cannot decrease the smoke emissions at high engineload since the reduced spray penetration impairs the airutilization. Fast and efficient combustion at high loadrequires spray induced flame spread out into the squish region.Spray induced flow of cool fresh air from the bottom of thepiston bowl in towards the injector is also important for lowsoot formation rates. Co-swirl rotation of the injector reduces the airentrainment into the spray and increases the soot formation.The increased smoke and CO emissions with co-swirl injectionare also attributed to the excessively large fuel-rich regionsbuilt up against the piston bowl wall. Increased air swirl generally reduces smoke and COemissions. This is mainly an effect of enhanced burnout due tomore intense mixing after the end of fuel injection. Changes in smoke as an effect of injector rotation aregenerally accompanied with opposite, but relatively small,changes in NO. Fast and efficient burnout is important for lowsmoke emissions and this raises both the temperature andproduction of NO. NO production is strongly influenced by thein-cylinder conditions during the latter part of themixing-controlled combustion and in the beginning of theburnout. <b>Keywords:</b>diesel spray combustion, rotating injector,air swirl, air/fuel-mixing, soot, NO, CO, flame visualization,Chemkin modeling, soot deposition

<p>A diesel fuel injector has been modified to allow rotationaround its axis, driven by an electric motor. Injections at upto 6000 rpm from the rotating injector have been investigatedunder the influence of air swirl on one optical research engineand one optically accessible heavy-duty diesel engine.</p><p>The experiments show that changing from a normal, staticinjection to a sweeping injection has profound effects on sprayformation, dispersion and penetration. This influences thefuel/air-mixing, autoignition, combustion rate and emissionsformation. The spray propagation is stronger influenced byinjector rotation than by air swirl.</p><p>The air entrainment into the spray increases forcounter-swirl rotation of the injector and this speeds up thevaporization and decreases the formation of soot. In addition,the oxidation of soot is enhanced since the counter-swirlinjection forces the intense fuel-rich and soot containingspray core to penetrate into fresh air instead of replenishingthe rich regions in the head of the spray. Fuel accumulationalong the piston bowl wall decreases as an effect of thereduced penetration with counter-swirl injection. Altogether,this decreases the smoke emissions for low and intermediateengine loads.</p><p>For the combustion system studied, counter-swirl rotation ofthe injector cannot decrease the smoke emissions at high engineload since the reduced spray penetration impairs the airutilization. Fast and efficient combustion at high loadrequires spray induced flame spread out into the squish region.Spray induced flow of cool fresh air from the bottom of thepiston bowl in towards the injector is also important for lowsoot formation rates.</p><p>Co-swirl rotation of the injector reduces the airentrainment into the spray and increases the soot formation.The increased smoke and CO emissions with co-swirl injectionare also attributed to the excessively large fuel-rich regionsbuilt up against the piston bowl wall.</p><p>Increased air swirl generally reduces smoke and COemissions. This is mainly an effect of enhanced burnout due tomore intense mixing after the end of fuel injection.</p><p>Changes in smoke as an effect of injector rotation aregenerally accompanied with opposite, but relatively small,changes in NO. Fast and efficient burnout is important for lowsmoke emissions and this raises both the temperature andproduction of NO. NO production is strongly influenced by thein-cylinder conditions during the latter part of themixing-controlled combustion and in the beginning of theburnout.</p><p><b>Keywords:</b>diesel spray combustion, rotating injector,air swirl, air/fuel-mixing, soot, NO, CO, flame visualization,Chemkin modeling, soot deposition</p>