Planar flow field measurements in atmospheric and pressurized combustion chambers

Abstract. The investigation of velocity fields in complex combustor flows is an important and necessary subject of propulsion technology. A persisting problem in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling is that current numerical design tools have a number of deficiencies in accurately predicting the complex combustor flow. Using planar techniques such as planar Doppler velocimetry (PDV) or particle image velocimetry (PIV) it is possible to provide detailed information of the flow field inside the combustor. This paper reports on the applicability of PIV in combustor flows at realistic operating conditions.