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Researchers Unveil New Insights into Turbulence's Role in Fluid Mixing and Combustion

High-resolution simulations reveal turbulence's intermittent bursts and thin layers, promising improved combustion models for aerospace and power plant technologies.

In the center of the picture there is a jet moving and there is smoke below its path. Sky is...
In the center of the picture there is a jet moving and there is smoke below its path. Sky is cloudy.

Researchers Unveil New Insights into Turbulence's Role in Fluid Mixing and Combustion

Researchers from RWTH Aachen University and CORIA, with support from the Jülich Supercomputing Centre, have made significant strides in understanding turbulence and its impact on fluid mixing and combustion. Their work, published recently, sheds light on the complex interplay between intermittency and turbulent-non-turbulent interfaces (TNTI) in jet flames.

Turbulence, long recognised for its chaotic nature, plays a crucial role in chemical and industrial processes. However, its intermittent bursts and thin layers have proven challenging to study. Dr. Michael Gauding, part of a research group at the University of Duisburg-Essen, and his colleagues have tackled this issue by employing high-performance computing (HPC) resources for highly resolved direct numerical simulations (DNS).

Their simulations accurately capture strong bursts connected to intermittency at thin layers, providing valuable insights into turbulent mixing in combustion reactions. The team's focus on the turbulent-non-turbulent interface (TNTI) is particularly noteworthy, as understanding this area can enhance combustion efficiency and prevent flame extinction.

The researchers' work has implications for various engineering fields, including aerospace technologies and power plants. By studying turbulent jet flames, they aim to improve models for combustion and mixing applications. Their use of DNS data to enhance less computationally demanding large eddy simulations (LES) allows for more accurate results on modest computing resources.

While scientists have long studied turbulent fluid flows, the team's innovative approach promises to advance our understanding of this complex phenomenon and its effects on fluids.

In conclusion, the collaborative research effort led by Dr. Michael Gauding has yielded significant progress in studying turbulence and its impact on fluid mixing and combustion. By leveraging HPC resources and focusing on the turbulent-non-turbulent interface, the team has opened new avenues for improving combustion and mixing models, with potential benefits for various engineering sectors.

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