Model Reduction Opportunities in Detailed Simulations of Combustion Dynamics

Rocket and gas turbine combustion dynamics involves a confluence of diverse physics and interaction across a number of system components. Any comprehensive, self-consistent numerical model is burdened by a very large computational mesh, stiff unsteady processes which limit the permissible time step, and the need to perform tedious, repeated calculations for a broad parametric range. Predictive CFD models rely on very large scale simulations and advanced hardware. Reduced Basis Methods (RBM) have grown in usage during the past decade, as promising new techniques in making large simulations more accessible. These methods create models with far fewer unknown quantities than the original system, by generating “proper” fundamental solutions and their Galerkin projections, while guaranteeing accuracy and computational efficiency. RBMs seek to reproduce full CFD solutions, rather than solutions to a simplified or linearized set of equations. We present here some recent work in this area, focusing on approaches to model large scale combustor systems. The maturation of methods leading to LES-based turbulent combustion modeling is discussed, and model reduction goals and strategies are explored from the perspective of applicability in real life problems in both gas turbine, as well as rocket engines.