Simulation of Gas Flow Field in Laval Nozzle and Straight Nozzle for Powder Metallurgy and Spray Forming

Gas flow field in nozzles and out of nozzles was calculated for Laval orifice and straight orifice nozzles. The results showed that the flow generated by the Laval nozzle had a higher exit velocity in the vicinity of the nozzle, in comparison with that of the straight nozzle, that is to say, a Laval nozzle was more efficient than a straight one in disintegrating the melt stream and was apt to produce finer powders. The flow generated by the Laval nozzle was less convergent and the velocity gradient along the radial direction was more moderate than that of a straight nozzle, which could contribute to a broad distribution of melt particles. According to their flow characteristics, the Laval nozzle was reckoned as a better choice of producing larger spray-formed billets.

Flow field simulation of double layer atomizer

The influences of parameters,such as delivery tube structure,gas pressure and the distance between the primary atomizer and the secondary atomizer,on gas flow field were investigated by simulation.The effects of primary pressure on gas velocity at the centerline were compared.Water atomizing experiment was carried out to validate gas scatter angle.The results show that the structure of primary atomizer plays an important role in the flow field near the exit of delivery tube.Metal protector with conical surface at the body extends certain length into the gas flow field to generate greater negative pressure near the tip of delivery tube. The application of primary gas can suppress the circulation generated by only using the secondary atomizer.

Measurements of Non-reacting and Reacting Flow Fields of a Liquid Swirl Flame Burner

The understanding of the liquid fuel spray and flow field characteristics inside a combustor is crucial for designing a fuel efficient and low emission device.Characterisation of the flow field of a model gas turbine liquid swirl burner is performed by using a2-D particle imaging velocimetry（PIV）system.The flow field pattern of an axial flow burner with a fixed swirl intensity is compared under confined and unconfined conditions,i.e.,with and without the combustor wall.The effect of temperature on the main swirling air flow is investigated under open and non-reacting conditions.The result shows that axial and radial velocities increase as a result of decreased flow density and increased flow volume.The flow field of the main swirling flow with liquid fuel spray injection is compared to non-spray swirling flow.Introduction of liquid fuel spray changes the swirl air flow field at the burner outlet,where the radial velocity components increase for both open and confined environment.Under reacting condition,the enclosure generates a corner recirculation zone that intensifies the strength of radial velocity.The reverse flow and corner recirculation zone assists in stabilizing the flame by preheating the reactants.The flow field data can be used as validation target for swirl combustion modelling.

Analysis of gas-solid flow and shaft-injected gas distribution in an oxygen blast furnace using a discrete element method and computational fluid dynamics coupled model

lronmaking using an oxygen blast furnace is an attractive approach for reducing energy consumption in the iron and steel industry. This paper presents a numerical study of gas-solid flow in an oxygen blast fur- nace by coupling the discrete element method with computational fluid dynamics. The model reliability was verified by previous experimental results. The influences of particle diameter, shaft tuyere size, and specific ratio （X） of shaft-injected gas （51G） flowrate to total gas flowrate on the SIC penetration behavior and pressure field in the furnace were investigated. The results showed that gas penetration capacity in the furnace gradually decreased as the particle diameter decreased from 100 to 40 mm. Decreasing particle diameter and increasing shaft tuyere size both slightly increased the SIG concentration near the furnace wall but decreased it at the furnace center. The value of X has a significant impact on the SIG distribution. According to the pressure fields obtained under different conditions, the key factor affecting SIG penetration depth is the pressure difference between the upper and lower levels of the shaft tuyere. If the pressure difference is small, the SIG can easily penetrate to the furnace center.

Effect of methane-hydrogen mixtures on flow and combustion of coherent jets

Coherent jets are widely used in electric are furnace （EAF） steelmaking to increase the oxygen utilization and chemical reaction rates. However, the influence of fuel gas combustion on jet behavior is not fully understood yet. The flow and combustion characteristics of a coherent jet were thus investigated at steelmaking temperature using Fluent software, and a detailed chemical kinetic reaction mecha- nism was used in the combustion reaction model. The axial velocity and total temperature of the supersonic jet were measured via hot state experiments. The simulation results were compared with the experimental data and the empirical jet model proposed by Ito and Muchi and good consistency was obtained. The research results indicated that the potential core length of the coherent jet can be prolonged by optimizing the combustion effect of the fuel gas. Besides, the behavior of the supersonic jet in the subsonic section was also investigated, as it is an important factor for controlling the position of the oxygen lance. The investigation indicated that the attenuation of the coherent jet is more notable than that of the conventional jet in the subsonic section.

Two-phase flow distributors for fuel cell flow channels

All existing proton exchange membrane （PEM） fuel cell gas flow fields have been designed on the basis of single-phase gas flow distribution. The presence of liquid water in the flow causes non-uniform gas distribution, leading to poor cell performance. This paper demonstrates that a gas flow restrictor/distributor, as is commonly used in two-phase flow to stabilize multiphase transport lines and multiphase reactors, can improve the gas flow distribution by significantly reducing gas real-distribution caused by either non-uniform water formation in parallel flow channels or flow instability associated with negative-slope pressure drop characteristic of two-phase horizontal flow systems.