On the Impact of Swirl Number on Premixed C3H8/air Combustion in a Bluff-Body Burner

Utilizing ANSYS-Fluent 21.0, large eddy simulations (LES) of the reactive flow in the Volvo bluff-body burner under various swirl intensities were performed. The Eddy Dissipation Concept (EDC) model coupled with a reduced chemical mechanism was employed to simulate premixed combustion. Results show thatLES is able to capture the interaction between swirl strength and fame stabilization behind the bluff-body. High swirl numbers generate strong central recirculation zones (CRZ), which enhance fame anchoring and combustion efficiency through increased hot gas recirculation and improved turbulent mixing.