Analysis of auto-ignition of heated hydrogen-air mixtures with different detailed reaction mechanisms

Auto-ignition processes of hydrogen, diluted with nitrogen, in heated air are numerically investigated by means of an unsteady laminar flamelet approach in mixture fraction space. The focus is on the auto-ignition delay time and the most reactive mixture fraction as obtained with five chemical mechanisms. Two strongly different levels of dilution, corresponding to experiments in the open literature, are considered. This concerns low-temperature chemistry at atmospheric pressure. The temperature of the air stream is much higher than the temperature of the fuel stream in the cases under study. We extensively investigate the effect of the co-flow temperature, the conditional scalar dissipation rate and the resolution in mixture fraction space for one case. With respect to the conditional scalar dissipation rate, we discuss the Amplitude Mapping Closure (AMC) model with imposed maximum scalar dissipation rate at mixture fraction equal to 0.5, as well as a constant conditional scalar dissipation rate value over the entire mixture fraction value range. We also illustrate that an auto-ignition criterion, based on a temperature rise, leads to similar results as an auto-ignition criterion, based on OH mass fraction, provided that the hydrogen is not too strongly diluted

Application of FDS and firefoam in large eddy simulations of a turbulent buoyant helium plume

Large eddy simulations are conducted in the near-field region of a large turbulent buoyant helium plume. Such plumes are of relevance for fire safety research due to the similar flow features as in the buoyant (smoke) plumes above the fire source. The transient and mean flow dynamics are discussed with and without the use of a Smagorinsky-type subgrid scale (SGS) model. For this purpose, two different computational fluid dynamics (CFD) packages are used. Small-scale structures, formed at the edge of the plume inlet due to a baroclinic and gravitational mechanism and subject to flow instabilities, interact with large-scale features of the flow, resulting in a puffing cycle. This puffing cycle is recovered in the simulations. In general, the LES calculations reproduce the main features of the turbulent plume. Mean velocity results compare well with the experimental data. The mass fractions are overpredicted on the centerline though, and higher on the domain

LES-CMC simulations of different auto-ignition regimes of hydrogen in a hot turbulent air Co-flow

Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) results in combination with first-order Conditional Moment Closure (CMC) are presented for a hydrogen jet, diluted with nitrogen, issued into a turbulent co-flowing hot air stream. The fuel mixes with the co-flow air, ignites and forms a lifted-like flame. Global trends in the experimental observations are in general well reproduced: the auto-ignition length decreases with increase in co-flow temperature and increases with increase in co-flow velocity. In the experiments, the co-flow temperature was varied, so that different auto-ignition regimes, including low Damkohler number situations, were obtained (no ignition, random spots, flashback and lifted flame). All regimes are recovered in the simulations. Auto-ignition is found to be the stabilizing mechanism. The impact of different detailed chemistry mechanisms on the auto-ignition predictions is discussed. With increasing air temperature, the differences between the mechanisms considered diminish. The evolution of temperature, H2O, H, HO2 and OH from inert to burning conditions is discussed in mixture fraction space

Parametric numerical analysis of fire-induced pressure variations in a well-confined and mechanically ventilated compartment

The investigation of a fire in a well-confined and mechanically ventilated compartment is of primary importance for the nuclear industry. In normal operating conditions, a ventilation network system is set-up to ensure confinement via an appropriate pressure cascade. In the event of a fire, the subsequent pressure build-up alters the confinement level significantly and therefore changes the level of safety of the installation. The fire-induced pressure variations depend mainly on the: (1) HRR (Heat Release Rate) history of the fire, (2) heat losses to the walls, (3) leakage area, and (4) operating conditions of the fans. A numerical parametric analysis on the latter three parameters, using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS 5.5.3), have shown that a change in the initial ventilation parameters (i.e. operating conditions of the fans and/or leaks), which can be sometimes difficult to determine, may lead to substantial changes in the pressure profiles. However, only a change in the thermal boundary conditions (i.e. presence or no of insulation) produces significant changes in the gas temperature