New publication from PTG on soot modeling

We are pleased to share a recent publication from the Propulsion Technologies Group (PTG) in collaboration with Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) on soot formation in a lab-scale gas turbine combustor link.

This work presents a numerical investigation based on large-eddy simulations (LES) combined with a flamelet-generated manifold (FGM) approach and a discrete sectional soot model. The study focuses on understanding the spatial structure and intermittency of soot in a swirl-stabilized ethylene flame.

The results identify the recirculation vortex as a key mechanism governing soot accumulation in fuel-rich regions. In addition, the interaction between the flow field and soot dynamics is shown to control both the spatial distribution and the temporal intermittency of soot. The study also includes a comparison between two soot modelling strategies, runtime evaluation and fully tabulated approaches, highlighting differences in predictive performance and computational cost.

The final published version can be accessed free of charge via the following link until April 17, 2026.

This publication contributes to ongoing efforts in the group on high-fidelity simulations of reacting flows, with a particular focus on soot modelling and low-emission gas turbine combustion.