An experimental investigation of turbulence statistics in an axisymmetric sudden expansion

Saad A. Ahmed*, Kamorudeen B. Abidogun

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The flow characteristics downstream of an axisymmetric sudden expansion is of basic importance to designers of gas turbine solid fuel ramjets. There is no doubt that the understanding of their complex flowfield will help in improving their design. Detailed measurements were made in an axisymmetric, confined, and isothermal flowfield of a research dump combustor and reported. Measurements of mean velocities, Reynolds stresses, and triple products were carried out at axial distances ranging from 0.38 to 12 step height, or 0.06 to 2 combustor diameters downstream of the dump plane. Detailed experimental data are provided to help in the understanding of the behavior of the turbulent transport characteristics of the confined shear layer inside the combustor. In addition, the data from this study will be available for upgrading / or evaluating advanced numerical codes used to predict second order turbulent flows. The turbulent kinetic energy terms: convection, diffusion, and production terms were computed directly from the experimental data, while the viscous dissipation term was obtained from the balance of the energy equation. The results of the detailed comparison of the present data with similar work reported in open literature show the accuracy and consistency of the present work. It also shows that the general behavior of the flowfield and energy budget results are in excellent agreements with previous reported data. In summary, the results indicate that the shear layer flow created by the sudden expansion enhances the combustor performance by serving as a turbulence generator mechanism.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)101-106
Number of pages6
JournalAmerican Society of Mechanical Engineers, Heat Transfer Division, (Publication) HTD
Volume346
StatePublished - 1997

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Mechanical Engineering
  • Fluid Flow and Transfer Processes

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