JOURNAL: Critical appraisal of integrated computational fluid dynamics/surface roughness models for additive manufactured swirl burners
Summary
Authors:
Rashed Al-Ajmi
Mohammed Al-Shaghdari
Burak Goktepe
Ianos Psomoglou
Hashem Alkebsi
Philip Bowen
College of Technological Studies, PAAET
Qatar University
Yemen Petroleum Company
Cardiff University
Critical appraisal of integrated computational fluid dynamics/surface roughness models for additive manufactured swirl burners
Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power
September 2025
This study explores how 3D-printed (additive manufacturing) parts, despite offering complex shapes ideal for gas turbines, often have rough surfaces that affect performance. Researchers used computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to test two ways of simulating the roughness’s effect on airflow. Comparing results with real burner test data, they found that directly modelling the rough surface texture worked better than using a simplified correlation, more accurately capturing airflow patterns near the wall. The study also showed that rougher surfaces shorten the recirculation zone, a factor that influences flame stability and emissions, insights that will guide further research into optimising 3D-printed components.