Numerical investigation on flow and combustion characteristics of novel reflux compact combustor under different rotating speeds for gas turbine

In the contemporary aerospace industry, particularly in aero-engine applications, combustor design optimization has prioritized compactness and miniaturization as the critical objectives. Key constraints limiting further size reduction include flame length and outlet temperature uniformity; the former has traditionally been dealt with by employing swirl flow. To address these challenges, this study introduces a novel combustor configuration and conducts comprehensive numerical simulations to analyze its flow characteristics, combustion performance, vortex system distribution, and outlet temperature uniformity. Results demonstrated that the proposed high-swirl combustor effectively reduced the extent of the high-temperature zone. Optimized wall rotational speed settings increased the combustion efficiency to 99.27 %, while the outlet temperature distribution factor reduced to 0.10, indicating superior thermal uniformity at the exit plane. Furthermore, precise rotational speed control improved performance and enabled axial shortening of the combustor. This study provides new insights into liquid fuel combustion behavior within rotating combustors, offering practical guidance for advancing next-generation methodologies in compact combustor design.