PIV measurement and numerical simulation of fan-driven flow in a constant volume combustion vessel

In the present work, flow motions in a constant volume combustion vessel driven by two fans were investigated using experimental measurement and numerical simulation. The flow field between two fans was measured using particle image velocimetry (PIV) technique. Unsteady RANS (Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes) method was used to simulate the fan-driven flow. Two different fan models, a body force model and a sliding mesh model, were used to model the effects of fan blades. Two rotating modes, co-rotating and counter-rotating, were considered. The numerical results of both models are in reasonably good agreement with the PIV measurement. The velocity field predictions of the sliding mesh model are close to the predictions of the body force model in a region just below the spark plug adaptor, and correlate better with the PIV measurements than the body force model further below the spark plug adaptor. However, the computational cost of the sliding mesh model is about 10 times more than the body force model. Thus, the body force model is a more applicable model for the current application in the constant volume combustion vessel.