Flowersabstract

Abstract

Combustion research at LLNL focuses on developing detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms for complex fuels and using this detailed chemistry for simulation of advanced engine combustion processes. High efficiency and low emissions engine combustion strategies have been the subject of intense research interest since the late 1990s. Numerous strategies with numerous names have been explored, such as: Modulated Kinetics (MK), Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI), Premixed Charge Compression Ignition (PCCI), Partially Premixed Combustion (PPC), Low Temperature Combustion (LTC), Smokeless Rich Diesel Combustion, and Reactivity Controlled Compression Ignition (RCCI). In general terms, these strategies all have the common feature of encouraging some level of premixing of fuel, air and diluents prior to ignition. Certain strategies are designed for gasoline-like fuels, and others designed for Diesel-like fuels, attempting to stay in the favorable regions of the temperature-mixture fraction map that avoid producing particulates and oxides of nitrogen. A “multi-zone” model developed at LLNL solves the chemical kinetics in reacting flows using non-geometric discretization of chemical reactors based on temperature and reaction coordinates. The multi-zone approach has been demonstrated to be computationally efficient and accurate for simulation of these high efficiency clean combustion engines. This seminar will discuss how simulations and experiments provide critical insight into the development of high efficiency combustion technologies.

Short bio

Daniel L. Flowers is an energy researcher at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, focusing on experiments and simulations of thermal-fluid and reacting flow systems. He has been working in the area of advanced engine combustion since joining LLNL in 1998. Flowers is the Associate Program Leader for Combustion and Alternative Fuels at LLNL and leads combustion research projects in the areas of HCCI, hydrogen and Diesel combustion. During entrepreneurial leave from LLNL, Flowers led research and development at Pinnacle Engines, an energy research startup company. Flowers earned Ph.D. (2001), M.S. (1997), and B.S. (1996) degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Davis.

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