G. Varillon, H. Tofaili, and P. Boivin / Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, Centrale Méditerranée, M2P2, Marseille, France
THE INTERNSHIP
Energy conversion via combustion is central to power generation, as a backup for renewable sources, transportation and many industrial processes (boilers, furnaces, etc.). The use of premixed hydrogen-based fuels is ramping up as an alternative to hydrocarbons to achieve lower emission of CO2 and nitrogen oxides. However, these technologies are prone to boundary-layer flash-back: the flame propagates along the walls upstream of its intended stabilization location, causing severe safety issues and damaging the equipment. Predicting flashback by means of simulations is paramount for designing new burners, but remains challenging. One of the open question is the accurate description of the flame interaction with the wall of the burner in turbulent flows.
A lattice-Boltzmann method (LBM)1 has been developed at the M2P2 lab to simulate such reactive flows, with good performance in several industrial cases. The goal of this internship is to assess the capability of the LBM to accurately capture the flame/wall interaction in turbulent reactive flows and implement some improvements. Flame/wall interactions are typically impeded by turbulent combustion models, which are necessary to simulate flames in turbulent reactive flows in realistic configurations.
Work plan:
• Verify quenching distances to the wall on laminar flames with various thermal boundaries,
• Investigate the behaviour of a turbulent combustion model close to the wall,
• Propose improvement to the combustion model.
This internship will be the opportunity to discover the physics of reactive flows and combustion and a state-of-the-art method (LBM). It will also be the opportunity to work on a challenge faced by many industrials and that draws a lot of attention at the moment. The intern will be integrated in a dynamic team of researchers during his internship, fostering interactions and with the opportunity to attend various scientific seminars.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- M. Tayyab, S. Zhao, Y. Feng, and P. Boivin, “Hybrid regularized Lattice-Boltzmann modelling of premixed and non-premixed combustion processes,” Combustion and Flame 211, 173–184 (2020).
- S. A. Hosseini, P. Boivin, D. Th´evenin, and I. Karlin, “Lattice Boltzmann methods for combustion applications,” Progress in Energy and Combustion Science 102, 101140 (2024).
