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2017
Conference Paper
Title
Function-driven design of a high temperature burner
Title Supplement
Abstract
Abstract
Design plays an important role in additive manufacturing. Besides influencing manufacturability and cost, the form of a part fundamentally determines its functional performance. Translating the required functions into a suitable form is thus key to obtain more energy efficient parts and systems. The following study presents an innovative design of a multi-media burner for high temperature applications. It integrates multiple flow structures into a monolithic geometry (see Fig. 1). In order to connect and supply the burner through pipes, the different fluid flows need to be distributed from circular pipes to larger, ring-shaped areas. Regarding the cooling of the structure, water is guided through the burner and returned to a central feeding system. For the combustion, the burner distributes various reactants. These may be swirled at the outlet to improve mixing rate and process conditions. The flows have to be distributed uniformly over a short part height while keeping pressure drop low. The presented application is created through a function-driven design approach, which combines elements from creative thinking with modern tools from computer-aided engineering (CAE). In this study the fluid dynamic properties of the burner are of special interest, as they determine the performance of the combustion as well as the cooling efficiency of the structure. In order to design a single flow structure, its basic topology is first defined through a creativity-based approach and a set of design principles. The chosen design concept utilizes a widening skin surface that integrates multiple guiding blades. These blades are staggered such that the fluid is distributed with a branched flow pattern. A parametric CAD model is set up, which serves as a basis for a simulation-driven design optimization. As the guiding blades influence the flow distribution, their positioning is defined through a set of parameters such as pitch angle, height, and relative orientation. Results from a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis are used to evaluate a certain parameter set. The distribution of the cooling water and the reactants are optimized with respect to maximized flow uniformity at the outlet and minimized pressure drop between inlet and outlet. Such a simulation-driven process allows a quick and automated exploration of a large design space. It is therefore well suited in conjunction with additive manufacturing, where the design space is much larger in comparison to conventional manufacturing. The burner demonstrates efficiency with regards to performance, cost, and lead time through function bundling, parts consolidation, improved flow distribution, and simplified assembly. In summary, a function-driven design approach in combination with a simulation-driven optimization is key to leverage the potential of additive manufacturing.
Author(s)