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Innovative Scientific Solutions Inc. and Air Force Research Laboratory have jointly developed a time-accurate CFDC (Computational Fluid Dynamics with Chemistry) code known as UNICORN (UNsteady Ignition and COmbustion with ReactioNs) to aid both fundamental and engineering studies on reactive flows.
UNICORN is undergoing continuous development as a research tool to improve the understanding of the dynamic characteristics of flames and as a future design tool for combustion systems.
From its conception, UNICORN's development has been strongly coupled with experiments designed to evaluate the chemistry and transport models used in the code and to challenge its ability to predict complex dynamic characteristics of combusting flows.
Computational Fluid Dynamics
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Because of this strong coupling with experiments, UNICORN is perhaps one of the most thoroughly evaluated Navier-Stokes-based codes developed to date. Flow-visualization techniques have been used extensively in the development of UNICORN to provide insight into various complex combusting flows.
UNICORN is a time-dependent, axisymmetric mathematical model that solves axial- and radial-momentum equations, the continuity equation, and enthalpy- and species-conservation equations to simulate a variety of dynamic jet flames.
Many chemistry models have been used in the evolution of UNICORN, beginning with a one-step global-chemistry model for hydrocarbon fuels and progressing through complete chemistry for hydrogen to nearly complete chemistry for propane, to study different aspects of steady and unsteady flames. The dynamics of the unsteady flames is visualized using IGAS (Integrated Graphics and Animation Software) also developed by ISSI/AFRL. Some of these animations are shown on this web page.