Comparisons of Combustion Simulations Using a Representative Interactive Flamelet Model and Direct Integration of CFD With Detailed Chemistry

Diesel engine simulation results using two different combustion models are presented in this study, namely the Representative Interactive Flamelet (RIF) model and the direct integration of CFD and CHEMKIN. Both models have been implemented into an improved version of the KIVA code. The KIVA/RIF model uses a single flamelet approach and also considers the effects of vaporization on turbulence-chemistry interactions. The KIVA/CHEMKIN model uses a direct integration approach that solves for the chemical reactions in each computational cell. The above two models are applied to simulate combustion and emissions in diesel engines with comparable results. Detailed comparisons of predicted heat release data and in-cylinder flows also indicate that both models predict very similar combustion characteristics. This is likely due to the fact that after ignition, combustion rates are mixing controlled rather than chemistry controlled under the diesel conditions studied.