Sean C. Garrick, Principal Investigator

Large-Scale Simulations of Turbulent Reacting Flows

The objective of this research is to perform numerical simulations of turbulent reacting flows via the combination of large eddy simulation (LES) and reduced chemical kinetics. There are two major issues that must be resolved to facilitate LES of turbulent reacting flows:

• Construction of an efficient numerical scheme for solving the governing transport equations
• Implementation of a chemical kinetic mechanism that can accurately capture the chemistry of complex hydrocarbon flames

In this work, both direct numerical simulation and LES were performed. With this approach, the researchers assessed the performance of the reduced mechanisms and the numerical solution procedures. LES is facilitated by introducing the “filtered density function” (FDF), and by providing an effective numerical means to simulate this FDF. Because of the added dimensionality of the compositional variables, solution of the FDF transport equation by conventional numerical methods is possible in only the simplest of cases. However, a Monte Carlo method may be used for this purpose. The use of these schemes has proven very effective in Reynolds averaged Navier- Stokes stimulations. Considering the capabilities of the scheme—and encouraging results in preliminary usage of this scheme—an element of the research requires full utilization of this methodology for LES of turbulent reactive flows.

This project also involved plasma processing and plasma chemistry in three contexts of practical importance:

• Particle formation and transport in semiconductor processing systems
• Synthesis of nanostructured materials in a thermal plasma expansion process
• Fundamental studies of thermal plasma chemical vapor deposition

All of these projects involved the development of computer models in concert with ongoing experiments in the laboratory. Key issues included the detailed chemistry that governs film growth, and the nucleation, growth, and transport of particles in plasmas.

Research Group

Ahmed Ahmed, Graduate Student Researcher
Mehrzad Shakpour, Graduate Student Researcher
Scott Miller, Undergraduate Student Researcher
Nelson Settumba, Graduate Student Researcher
Modem Sriswetha, Graduate Student Researcher
Senia Tuominen, Undergraduate Student Reseacher
Guanghai Wang, Graduate Student Researcher
Jeff Weier, Graduate Student Researcher