Svenja Nerzak, RWTH Aachen University
Co-Authors: K. Niemietz, M. Vivenzo, L. Berger, T. Lehmann, M. Gauding, H. Pitsch

Title: Numerical Analysis of Thermodiffusive Instabilities in Hydrogen Flames with LES in a Jet Burner Application

Abstract:

The high energy and heat demand of many industrial sectors, e.g., steel production and processing, combined with the need for drastic carbon dioxide emission reductions, requires a transition from fossil fuel industrial burners to novel energy systems in the near future. One widely discussed approach is the utilization of hydrogen. Since hydrogen supply is still limited, industrial burners must be capable of fuel-flexible operation while reducing emissions. However, hydrogen addition to methane strongly influences flame characteristics due to thermodiffusive instabilities.

This study investigates how these instabilities affect the flame in a fuel-flexible jet burner configuration using Large Eddy Simulations (LES). To this end, the model by Regele et al. (Combust. Flame, 160(2):240–250, 2013) is implemented in OpenFOAM. The model is extended for turbulent flames using the progress variable variance. Subsequently, the model is validated using laminar and turbulent direct numerical simulations (DNS).