Flow Aerodynamics Modeling of an MHD Swirl Combustor: Calculations and Experimental Verification

This paper describes a computer code for calculating the flow dynamics of constant density flow in the second stage trumpet shaped nozzle section of a two stage MHD swirl combustor for application to a disk generator. The primitive pressure-velocity variable, finite difference computer code has been developed to allow the computation of inert nonreacting turbulent swirling flows in an axisymmetric MHD model swirl combustor. The method and program involve a staggered grid system for axial and radial velocities, and a line relaxation technique for efficient solution of the equations. Turbulence simulation is by way of a two-equation κ-ε model. The code produces as output the flowfield map of the nondimensional stream function, axial, and swirl velocity. Good argeement was obtained between the theoretical predictions and the qualitative experimental results. The best seed injector location for uniform seed distribution at combustor exit is with injector located centrally on the combustor axis at entrance to the second stage combustor.