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The G-equation model was implemented in the commercial code ANSYS CFX and validated against experimental data in order to successfully simulate turbulent premixed combustion in internal combustion engines. The model is based on the level-set approach. Two transport equations are solved respectively for the G-scalar mean value, representing the local distance function from the time-averaged mean flame front, and its variance, correlated to the turbulent flame brush thickness. The model closure for tracking the flame front is based on an algebraic expression for the turbulent burning velocity. The composition of the reacted mixture is evaluated by coupling the code with flamelet libraries generated with the ANSYS CFX-RIF package by means of a reaction progress variable computed as a function of the G-related quantities.

The burden of creating meshes increases the cost of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and slows the rate at which new engine geometries can be investigated. Internal Combustion Engines (ICEs) with moving valves and piston present a special challenge, often requiring numerous different target meshes or case-specific codes for adapting the mesh. The goal of the present paper is to facilitate remeshing by calculating vertex motion, in parallel, for hybrid tetrahedral and hexahedral meshes. The calculated vertex motion is intended to maintain good mesh quality and reduce the need for interpolation to a new mesh. The demonstrated approach uses Laplacian-based smoothing for hexahedral cells and optimization-based smoothing for tetrahedral cells. Further, planar and cylindrical surfaces in the engine geometry are automatically recognized. As the engine volume changes shape, vertices may slide along the planar and cylindrical surfaces.

In this paper a quasi-direct solution of transient three-dimensional CFD calculations based on a finite volume approach has been adopted to simulate the atomization process of high velocity liquid jets issuing an injector-like nozzle. An accurate Volume-of-Fluid (VOF) method is used to reconstruct and advect the interface between the liquid and gas phases. An extended mesh which includes the injector nozzle and the upstream plenum has been considered in order to investigate accurately the effect of nozzle flow conditions on the liquid jet atomization. Cavitation modeling has not been included in the present computations. Two different mean injection velocities, 150 m/s and 270 m/s, respectively, have been considered in the calculations as representative of semi-turbulent and fully-turbulent nozzle flow conditions. The liquid-to-gas density ratio is kept fixed at 57.