Fundamentals of Turbulent and Multiphase Combustion
PREFACE
There is an ever-increasing need to understand turbulent and multiphase combustion
due to their broad application in energy, environment, propulsion, transportation,
industrial safety, and nanotechnology. More engineers and scientists with
skills in these areas are needed to solve many multifaceted problems. Turbulence
itself is one of the most complex problems the scientific community faces. Its
complexity increases with chemical reactions and even more in the presence of
multiphase flows.
A number of useful books have been published recently in the areas of theory
of turbulence, multiphase fluid dynamics, turbulent combustion, and combustion
of propellants. These include Theoretical and Numerical Combustion by Poinsot
and Veynante; Turbulent Flows by Pope; Introduction to Turbulent Flow by
Mathieu and Scott; Turbulent Combustion by Peters; Multiphase Flow Dynamics
by Kolev; Combustion Physics by Law; Fluid Dynamics and Transport of Droplet
and Sprays by Sirignano; Compressible, Turbulence, and High-Speed Flow by
Gatski and Bonnet; Combustion by Glassman and Yetter, among others.
Kenneth Kuo, the first author of this book, previously published Principles of
Combustion. The second edition, published in 2005, contains comprehensive
material on laminar flames, chemical thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and
transport properties for multicomponent mixtures. As the research in laminar
flames was overwhelming, he decided to develop two separate books dedicated
entirely to turbulent and multiphase combustion.
Turbulence, turbulent combustion, and multiphase reacting flows have been
major research topics for many decades, and research in these areas is expected
to continue at even a greater pace. Usually the research has focused on experimental
studies with phenomenological approaches, resulting in the development
of empirical correlations. Theoretical approaches have achieved some degree
of success. However, in the past 20 years, advances in computational capability
have enabled significant progress to be made toward comprehensive theoretical
modeling and numerical simulation. Experimental diagnostics, especially
nonintrusive laser-based measurement techniques, have been developed and used
to obtain accurate data, which have been used for model validation. There is a
greater synergy between the experimental and theoretical/numerical approaches.
Due to these ongoing developments and advancements, theoretical modeling and
numerical simulation hold great potential for future solutions of problems. In
these two new books, we have attempted to integrate the fundamental theories of
turbulence, combustion, and multiphase phenomena as well as experimental techniques,
so that readers can acquire a firm background in both contemporary and
classical approaches. The first book volume is called Fundamentals of Turbulent
and Multiphase Combustion; the second is called Applications of Turbulent and
Multiphase Combustion. The first volume can serve as a graduate-level textbook
that covers the area of turbulent combustion and multiphase reacting flows as
well as material that builds on these fundamentals. This volume also can be
useful for research purpose. It is oriented toward the theories of combustion,
turbulence, multiphase flows, and turbulent jets. Whenever appropriate,
experimental setups and results are provided. The first volume addresses eight
basic topical areas in combustion and multiphase flows, including laminar
premixed and nonpremixed flames; theory of turbulence; turbulent premixed and
nonpremixed flames; background of multiphase flows; and spray atomization and
combustion. A deep understanding of these topics is necessary for researchers
in the field of combustion.
The six chapters in the second volume build on the ground covered in the
first volume. Its chapters include: solid propellant combustion, thermal decomposition
and combustion of nitramines burning behavior of homogeneous solid
propellants, chemically reacting boundary-layer flows, ignition and combustion of
combustion of single energetic solid particles, and combustion of solid particles
in multiphase flows. The major reason for including solid-propellant combustion
here is to provide concepts for condensed-phase combustion modeling as
an example. Nitramines are explosive or propellant ingredients; their decomposition
and reaction mechanisms are also good examples for combustion behavior
of condensed-phase materials. Chapters in Volume 2 focus on the application
aspect of fundamental concepts and can form the framework for an advanced
graduate-level course in combustion of condensed-phase materials. However, the
selection of materials for instruction depends extirely on the interests of instructors
and students. Although several chapters address solid propellant combustion,
this volume is not a textbook for solid propellant combustion; many topics in
this area are not included due to space limitations.