Near Lean Blowout Simulations of a Model Gas Turbine Combustor

Speaker: Jeffrey Labahn, Center for Turbulence Research, Stanford University
February 22, 2018

Presentation

Abstract

Modern jet engines are designed to be highly efficient while at the same time limiting the amount of harmful emissions produced. Presently, there is a desire to develop new jet fuels which are renewable, sustainable and allow for energy independence. However, the performance of these fuels must be carefully considered before use in current or next generation jet engines. State of the art multi-physics computer simulations have been developed and applied to investigate the behavior of new fuels to compare their performance to current jet fuels. In partnership with NASA and the FAA, these high fidelity simulations determine the relative performance of new jet fuels at operating conditions near lean blowout, where the combustion process can be highly unstable.

In this presentation, we give an overview of our recent work as part of the National Jet Fuel Combustion Program, including our investigation of the importance of secondary droplet breakup and the impact of the initial droplet distribution on near lean blowout (LBO) predictions.

Biography

Jeffrey Labahn is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Center for Turbulence Research at Stanford University. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Waterloo in 2016. His research focuses on the development and application of numerical models which are able to predict transient phenomena in aerospace applications.

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