Large eddy simulation of premixed flames in Couette flow

Large eddy simulations in a wall bounded domain are conducted in order to study the kinematic structure of premixed turbulent flame. The linear model presents a prospect of isolating the effects of each of the physical mechanisms that underly turbulent combustion. In the present study, we investigate the flame structure in the absence of thermodyamic effects such as heat release using this model and compare the results to predictions arrived at using Yakhot's model. The momentum transport is modeled using an eddy viscosity approach based on the dynamic subgrid kinetic energy equation. The LEM approach is found to be fairly accurate in non-homogeneous shear flows such as the Couette flow. It is found that the effects of turbulence on the flame geometry are modeled well using this approach. The model however, needs to modified for the limiting case of near laminar propagation in regions of space with little or no turbulence.