Improving processes through new solutions

摘要

In an effort to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions, engineers at the NASA Glenn Research Center have begun developing a new swirler device for jet engines. The swirler mixes fuel and air within the engine to optimize combustion. To develop the swirler, engineers are using a NASA-developed code, called the National Combustion Code (NCC), along with Pro/ENGI-NEER CAD/CAM software, a CFD-GEOM mesh generator for creating solid models, and an EnSight Gold high-end visualization tool. The NCC is better suited for turbulence testing than normal CFD code because it includes features designed specifically for the task, including a massively parallel flow solver, advanced chemistry modules, unstructured grids, and turbulence-chemistry models that depict how the air and fuel mixture affects chemical reaction rates.