Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Secondary Droplet Breakup In Periodic Aerodynamic Flows Using Computational Fluid Dynamics, Krystle Gallo

Honors Theses

Combustion instability is characterized by periodic fluctuations during the combustion process. Such instabilities can cause a reduction in engine performance and damage to engine components. In liquid fueled combustion, some types of combustion instability may be driven by changes in fuel droplet size distribution. The fuel droplet size distribution can be changed if the original or “primary” fuel droplets are broken apart by the flow. This is called secondary droplet breakup. The smaller drops that are created during breakup are consumed more rapidly and increase the energy release rate, which may act as a sustaining force of the instability. Currently, …