An analytical study of droplet combustion under microgravity: Quasi-steady transient approach

An analytical model based on an assumption of combined quasi-steady and transient behavior of the process is presented to exemplify the unsteady, sphero-symmetric single droplet combustion under microgravity. The model used in the present study includes an alternative approach of describing the droplet combustion as a process where the diffusion of fuel vapor residing inside the region between the droplet surface and the flame interface experiences quasi-steadiness while the diffusion of oxidizer inside the region between the flame interface and the ambient surrounding experiences unsteadiness. The modeling approach especially focuses on predicting; the variations of droplet and flame diameters with burning time, the effect of vaporization enthalpy on burning behavior, the average burning rates and the effect of change in ambient oxygen concentration on flame structure. The modeling results are compared with a wide range of experimental data available in the literature. It is shown that this simplified quasi-steady transient approach towards droplet combustion yields behavior similar to the classical droplet theory.     

Combustion of a single magnesium particle in water vapor

The combustion of magnesium particles in water vapor is of interest for underwater propulsion and hydrogen production. In this work, the combustion process of a single magnesium particle in water vapor is studied both experimentally and theoretically. Combustion experiments are conducted in a combustor filled with motionless water vapor. Condensation of gas-phase magnesia on the particle surface is confirmed and gas-phase combustion flame characteristics are observed. With the help of an optical filter and a neutral optical attenuator, flame structures are captured and determined. Flame temperature profiles are measured by an infrared thermometer. Combustion residue is a porous oxide shell of disordered magnesia crystal, which may impose a certain influence on the diffusivity of gas phases. A simplified one-dimensional, spherically symmetric, quasi-steady combustion model is then developed. In this model, the condensation of gas-phase magnesia on the particle surface and its influence on the combustion process are included, and the Stefan problem on the particle surface is also taken into consideration. With the combustion model, the parameters of flame temperature, flame diameter, and the burning time of the particle are solved analytically under the experimental conditions. A reasonable agreement between the experimental and modeling results is demonstrated, and several features to improve the model are identified.     

Combustion behaviors of isolated n-decane and ethanol droplets in carbon dioxide-rich ambience under microgravity

The burning and sooting behaviors of isolated fuel droplets for ethanol and n-decane are examined in high concentration of the ambient carbon dioxide under microgravity. A quartz fiber with the diameter of 50 μm maintains the droplet in the center of the combustion chamber and the range in the initial droplet diameter is from 0.30 to 0.80 mm. The ambience consists of oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The concentration of oxygen is 21% in volume, and that of carbon dioxide is varied from 0% to 60% in volume. Detail measurements of the projected image of the droplet are conducted by using a high speed video camera and the effective droplet diameter squared are calculated from the surface area of the rotating body of the projected object. From evolutions of the droplet diameter squared, the instantaneous burning rates are calculated. Time history of the instantaneous burning rate clearly represents the droplet combustion events, such as the initial thermal expansion, ignition and following combustion. The instantaneous burning rate for n-decane shows an increasing trend during combustion, while that for non-sooting ethanol remains almost constant or shows a decreasing trend. A slight stepwise increase in the instantaneous burning rate is observed for larger n-decane droplets in air, which may be attributed to soot accumulation. However, this behavior of the burning rate disappears in higher concentration of carbon dioxide. Direct observation of the droplet flame indicates suppression of soot production in higher concentration of carbon dioxide and the suppression is enhanced for smaller droplet.     

Holographic Observation of AluminumAgglomerates near Surface Area of SolidRocket Propellants during Burning Process

l.IntroductionMetalaluminumisusual1yaddedtosolidrocketpropellantstoincreasethrustandspecificimpu1se.Inaddition,a1uminumoxideparticlesproducedinhightemPeratureburningareacaninturnsuppresshighfrequencycombustioninstabilities.Fromthetheo-reticalcombustionmode1ofsolidproPellants['2j,oxiderandbinder,maincompositionofsolidproPellants,arefirstdecomPOsedandvaPOrizcdintheburningprocere,sothatthealuminumparticlesareexposedonthesurfaceofsolidproPCllants.SomeoftheexPOsedaluminumparticlesescaPerapedl…     

石油焦渣油浆燃烧特性的试验研究

石油焦渣油浆是为电站燃油锅炉开发的一种新型代用燃料,本文对南京金陵石化所提供的渣油和石油焦所制成石油焦渣油浆的燃烧特性进行了试验研究。结果表明,浓度为４０％的石油焦渣油浆可以成功地进行制备、加热、输送和燃烧,并具有较高的燃烧效率;石油焦渣油浆的浓度、油焦浆的加热温度、负荷和氧量对其燃烧效率有很大影响。     

天然气在不同初始温度和压力下的燃烧特性研究

利用定容燃烧弹研究了不同初始温度和初始压力下的天然气燃烧特性,分析了初始温度、初始压力和当量比对其燃烧过程的影响.研究结果表明:随着初始温度的升高(300～450 K),天然气质量燃烧速率明显增加,燃烧持续期和火焰发展期显著缩短.随着初始压力的升高(0.1～0.75 MPa),天然气质量燃烧速率明显减慢,燃烧持续期和火焰发展期显著增长.且稀混合气和浓混合气条件下初始温度和初始压力的变化对燃烧持续期和火焰发展期的影响更明显.     

Comparison of simplified models for nitramine propellant combustion

Although 1,3,5-Trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) and Octahydro-1,3,5,7-tetranitro-1,3,5,7-tetrazocine (HMX) are very similar molecularly and their burning rates as a function of pressure are nearly identical, it is well known that they differ significantly in temperature sensitivity, especially at low pressures. To understand these differences better, three simple models were applied to HMX and RDX combustion. Both the Denison–Baum–Williams and Li–Williams–Margolis models have previously been calibrated for use with RDX. However, the RDX calibration of the Ward–Son–Brewster model was developed in the present work. All three models were compared with relevant measured data including: burning rate, flame stand-off/thickness, combustion stability, and temperature sensitivity. It was shown that all models are capable of accurately determining the burning rate of HMX and RDX as a function of pressure at the baseline initial temperature, but only two of the models are capable of capturing the variation in temperature sensitivity for both HMX and RDX, and only one model can replicate all the other measured characteristics within experimental uncertainty. Analysis using this model suggests that the surface reaction of RDX is much less exothermic than HMX and that there is a shifting between the gas phase and surface reaction dominance with pressure for HMX. This explains why the temperature sensitivity for RDX is nearly flat for low pressures while the temperature sensitivity for HMX increases significantly as the pressure decreases. Importantly, these trends are achieved without adding significant model complexity or having parameters change with pressure or initial temperature.     

Influence of oxygen concentration on the sooting behavior of ethanol droplet flames in microgravity conditions

The influence of oxygen (O₂) concentration and inert on the sooting and burning behavior of large ethanol droplets under microgravity conditions was investigated through measurements of burning rate, flame temperature, sootshell diameter, and soot volume fraction. The experiments were performed at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) 2.2 s drop tower in Cleveland, OH. Argon (Ar), helium (He), and nitrogen (N₂) were used as the inerts and the O₂ concentration was varied between 21% and 50% mole fraction at 2.4 atm. The unique configuration of spherically symmetric droplet flames enables effective control of sooting over a wide range of residence time of fuel vapor transport, flame temperature, and regimes of sooting to investigate attendant influences on burning behavior of droplets. For all inert cases, soot volume fraction initially increased as a function of the O₂ concentration. The highest soot volume fractions were measured for experiments in Ar environments and the lowest soot volume fractions were measured for the He environments. These differences were attributed to the changes in the residence time for fuel vapor transport and the flame temperature. For the He inert and N₂ inert cases, the soot volume fraction began to decrease after reaching a maximum value. The competition between the influence of residence time, rate of pyrolysis reactions, and soot oxidation can lead to this interesting behavior in which the soot volume fraction varies non-monotonically with increase in O₂ concentration. These experiments have developed new understanding of the burning and sooting behaviors of ethanol droplets under various O₂ concentrations and inert substitutions.     

A numerical study of quasi-steady burning characteristics of a condensed fuel: effect of angular orientation of fuel surface

A numerical study of laminar diffusion flames established over a condensed fuel surface, inclined at several angular orientations in the range of –90°?θ?+90° with respect to the vertical axis, under atmospheric pressure and normal gravity environment, is presented. Methanol is employed as the fuel. A numerical model, which solves transient gas-phase, two-dimensional governing conservation equations, with a single-step global reaction for methanol–air oxidation and an optically thin radiation sub-model, has been employed in the present investigation. Numerical results have been validated against the experimental data from the present study. Thereafter, the model is used to investigate the influence of angular orientation of fuel surface on its quasi-steady burning characteristics. Results in terms of fuel mass burning rate, flame stand-off distances, temperature field, velocity profiles and oxygen contours have been presented and discussed in detail. It is observed that orientation angles in the range of –45°?θ? –30° (fuel surface facing upwards), yield the maximum mass burning rates. The flame anchoring location near the leading edge of the fuel surface, normal gradient of fuel vapor mass fraction at the surface and oxygen contours have been used to explore this unique behavior. Based on the numerical results, a theoretical correlation to predict the mass burning rate as a function of fuel surface orientation is also proposed. Furthermore, a discussion on the differences in the structure of laminar diffusion flame established over fuel surface as a function of its angular orientation is included.     

Specifics of the combustion of aluminum-water mixtures

Experimental studies of the combustion of mixtures of micron-sized flaky aluminum powder with unthickened water in different conditions at atmospheric and high pressure in nitrogen and argon are performed. The density and composition of the mixture are varied. The regularities of the combustion have been established. A filtration wave of hot hydrogen ahead of the combustion front in samples with high porosity has been revealed. For the combustion under a nitrogen atmosphere, the pressure exponent in the burning rate law is close to 0.47 in a wide range of pressures. For the combustion under an argon atmosphere at pressures above 50 atm, the pressure exponent becomes zero or negative. Aluminum powder is demonstrated to be able to burn under conditions of a separated charge, where the fuel (aluminum) and oxidizer (water) are separated by a thin partition or brought in direct contact. The fast convective burning of aluminum-water mixtures in a semiclosed volume is discovered.     

Modeling of a self-excited pulse combustor and stability analysis

The major bottleneck for popularization and utilization of the conventional mechanical valve pulse combustors is the self-priming mode of gas supply. An aerodynamic valve (as against mechanical valve) self-excited pulse combustor of the Helmholtz-type with continuous supply of gas and air was designed and a mathematical model was established in this paper. The theoretical model employed well-stirred reactor model and a single step Arrhenius chemistry, and took those factors which might affect the combustion stability into account. The factors include the variation of the mass rate of the reactants affected by the pressure in the combustion chamber, the convective and radiation heat loss in the combustion chamber, and the heat transfer and wall friction in the tailpipe. The effect of wall temperature of combustion chamber, wall heat transfer coefficient, tailpipe length and friction coefficient on combustionstability were analyzed. The range of combustion oscillations can be predicted. It is theoretically and experimentally shown that combustion oscillations can be produced with a continuous supply of fuel and air without mechanical valves. The experimental data show qualitative agreement with predictions from the theoretical model. The theoretical model could be a tool for designing and optimizing the self-excited pulse combustor.     

燃料敏感性对内燃机部分预混燃烧(PPC)光谱特性的影响研究

在一台光学发动机上,利用火焰高速成像技术和自发光光谱分析法,研究了燃料敏感性(S)为0和6时对发动机缸内火焰发展和燃烧发光光谱的影响。试验过程中,通过改变喷油时刻 (SOI=-25,-15和-5°CA ATDC) 使燃烧模式从部分预混燃烧过渡到传统柴油燃烧模式。通过使用正庚烷、异辛烷、乙醇混合燃料来改变燃料敏感性。结果表明,在PPC模式下(-25°CA ATDC),火焰发展过程是从近壁面区域开始着火,而后向燃烧室中心发展,即存在类似火焰传播过程,同时在燃烧室下部未燃区域也形成新的着火自燃点。敏感性对燃烧相位影响较大,对缸内燃烧火焰发展历程影响较小;高敏感性燃料OH和CH带状光谱出现的时刻推迟,表明高敏感性燃料高温反应过程推迟,且光谱强度更低,表明碳烟辐射强度减弱。在PPC到CDC之间的过渡区域(-15°CA ATDC),燃烧火焰发光更亮,燃烧反应速率比-25°CA ATDC时刻的反应速率更快。高、低敏感性燃料对缸压放热率的影响规律与-25°CA ATDC相近,此时的燃烧反应更剧烈,放热率更高,碳烟出现时刻更早。该喷油时刻下的光谱强度高于PPC模式下的光谱强度,说明此时的CO氧化反应与碳烟辐射更强。在CDC模式下(-5°CA ATDC),由于使用的燃料活性较低,燃烧放热时刻过于推迟,放热量很小,缸内燃烧压力低,因此燃料敏感性对缸压和放热率的影响不明显,但从燃烧着火图像中可以看到高敏感性燃料的火焰出现时刻较低敏感性燃料推迟。低敏感性燃料的燃烧初期蓝色火焰首先出现在燃烧室中心,着火火焰出现时刻更早,之后蓝色火焰从中心向周围扩散,呈现火焰传播为主导的燃烧过程;燃烧后期,局部混合气过浓区导致亮黄色火焰面积逐渐增大并向周围扩散。高敏感性燃料的火焰发展趋势与低敏感性燃料类似,黄色火焰的亮度与面积更小。尽管高、低敏感性燃料的OH和CH带状光谱的出现时间相近,但高敏感性燃料的光谱强度仍更低。综合分析,火焰发展结构与自发光光谱特征主要受喷油时刻的影响,燃料的敏感性主要影响着火时刻和火焰自发光光谱强度,且高敏感性燃料的光谱强度更低。     

Studies on aluminum powder combustion in detonation environment

The combustion mechanism of aluminum particles in a detonation environment characterized by high temperature (in unit 10³ K), high pressure (in unit GPa), and high-speed motion (in units km/s) was studied, and a combustion model of the aluminum particles in detonation environment was established. Based on this model, a combustion control equation for aluminum particles in detonation environment was obtained. It can be seen from the control equation that the burning time of aluminum particle is mainly affected by the particle size, system temperature, and diffusion coefficient. The calculation result shows that a higher system temperature, larger diffusion coefficient, and smaller particle size lead to a faster burn rate and shorter burning time for aluminum particles. After considering the particle size distribution characteristics of aluminum powder, the application of the combustion control equation was extended from single aluminum particles to nonuniform aluminum powder, and the calculated time corresponding to the peak burn rate of aluminum powder was in good agreement with the experimental electrical conductivity results. This equation can quantitatively describe the combustion behavior of aluminum powder in different detonation environments and provides technical means for quantitative calculation of the aluminum powder combustion process in detonation environment.     

Modelling biodiesel–diesel spray combustion using multicomponent vaporization coupled with detailed fuel chemistry and soot models

A multicomponent vaporization model is integrated with detailed fuel chemistry and soot models for simulating biodiesel–diesel spray combustion. Biodiesel, a fuel mixture comprised of fatty-acid methyl esters, is an attractive alternative to diesel fuel for use in compression-ignition engines. Accurately modelling of the spray, vaporization, and combustion of the fuel mixture is critical to predicting engine performance using biodiesel. In this study, a discrete-component vaporization model was developed to simulate the vaporization of biodiesel drops. The model can predict differences in the vaporization rates of different fuel components. The model was validated by use of experimental data of the measured biodiesel drop size history and spray penetration data obtained from a constant-volume chamber. Gas phase chemical reactions were simulated using a detailed reaction mechanism that also includes PAH reactions leading to the production of soot precursors. A phenomenological multi-step soot model was utilized to predict soot emissions from biodiesel–diesel combustion. The soot model considered various steps of soot formation and destruction, such as soot inception, surface growth, coagulation, and PAH condensation, as well as oxidation by oxygen and hydroxyl-containing molecules. The overall numerical model was validated with experimental data on flame structure and soot distributions obtained from a constant-volume chamber. The model was also applied to predict combustion, soot and NOx emissions from a diesel engine using different biodiesel–diesel blends. The engine simulation results were further analysed to determine the soot emissions characteristics by use of biodiesel–diesel fuels.     

等离子体对含硼两相流扩散燃烧特性的影响

为排除来流空气对含硼燃气的掺混效应, 研究等离子体对含硼富燃料推进剂在补燃室二次燃烧过程的影响, 建立了含硼两相流平行进气扩散燃烧物理模型. 利用高速摄影仪拍摄了含硼燃气在补燃室二次燃烧的火焰图像, 分析了该物理模型的扩散燃烧特性和硼颗粒的二次点火距离. 采用硼颗粒的King点火模型、有限速度/涡耗散模型、颗粒轨道模型和RNG k-ε模型以及等离子体模型, 模拟了一定条件下等离子体对含硼两相流扩散燃烧过程的影响. 结果表明, 依据含硼燃气二次燃烧图像得到的硼颗粒二次点火距离, 与数值模拟结果基本一致, 保证了该物理模型和计算方法的可靠性. 含硼两相流经过等离子体区域后, 硼颗粒在运动轨迹上颗粒温度明显增加, 颗粒直径明显减小, B₂O₃的质量分数分布区域明显扩增, 70%的硼颗粒在到达补燃室2/3尺寸前燃烧效率已达到100%, 硼颗粒充分燃烧释放出更多热量导致中心流线区域温度增加近1/2, 可见等离子体可以明显强化含硼两相流的燃烧过程, 提高硼颗粒的燃烧效率.     

Spherical turbulent flame propagation of pulverized coal particle clouds in an O2/N2 atmosphere

The present study aims to clarify the effects of turbulence intensity and coal concentration on the spherical turbulent flame propagation of a pulverized coal particle cloud. A unique experimental apparatus was developed in which coal particles can be dispersed homogeneously in a turbulent flow field generated by two fans. Experiments on spherical turbulent flame propagation of pulverized coal particle clouds in a constant volume spherical chamber in various turbulence intensities and coal concentrations were conducted. A common bituminous coal was used in the present study. The flame propagation velocity was obtained from an analysis of flame propagation images taken using a high-speed camera. It was found that the flame propagation velocity increased with increasing flame radius. The flame propagation velocity increases as the turbulence intensity increases. Similar trends were observed in spherical flames using gaseous fuel. The coal concentration has a weak effect on the flame propagation velocity, which is unique to pulverized coal combustions in a turbulent field. These are the first reports of experimental results for the spherical turbulent flame propagation behavior of pulverized coal particle clouds. The results obtained in the present study are obviously different from those of previous pulverized coal combustion studies and any other results of gaseous fuel combustion research.     

Combustion characteristics and liquid-phase visualisation of single isolated diesel droplet with surface contaminated by soot particles

The combustion generated soot contamination effect on a single diesel droplet ignition and burning was investigated experimentally for the first time. Diesel droplet flame was used to contaminate the droplet to be investigated prior to ignition. Distinct differences in lifetime and stability of the burning of the neat and contaminated droplet samples were observed in their heating, boiling and disruptive phases. For a soot-contaminated droplet surface, the evaporation rate became weaker as a result of slower mass transfer thus contracted the flame formation. Contrary to the burning rate enhancement of droplet with stable and uniform suspension of particles observed by other researchers, the slightest contamination of soot particles in a fuel droplet surface can significantly reduce the burning rate. Denser agglomeration of soot can form a shell on the droplet surface which blocks the flow of gas escaping through the surface thus distort the droplet even further. At late combustion stage, bubbles are observed to rapture on the surface of the soot-contaminated droplet. Strong ejections of volatile liquid and vapour that would explode shortly after parting from the droplet are observed. It seems that the explosion and burning of ejected mixture have little interactions with the enveloped flame surrounding the primary droplet. Enhanced visualisation of droplet liquid-phase has clearly indicated the cause of declining trend in the burning rate and flame stand-off ratio of soot-contaminated diesel droplet. These insights are of significance for understanding the effect of fuel droplet contamination by combustion generated soot particles.     

A correlation for burn time of aluminum particles in the transition regime

A study of the combustion times for aluminum particles in the size range of 3–11 μm with oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapor oxidizers at high temperatures (>2400 K), high pressures (4–25 atm), and oxidizer composition (15–70% by volume in inert diluent) in a heterogeneous shock tube has generated a correlation valid in the transition regime. The deviation from diffusion limited behavior and burn times that could otherwise be accurately predicted by the widely accepted Beckstead correlation is seen, for example, in particles below 20 μm, and is evidenced by the lowering of the diameter dependence on the burn time, a dependence on pressure, and a reversal of the relative oxidizer strengths of carbon dioxide and water vapor. The strong dependence on temperature of burn time that is seen in nano-Al is not observed in these micron-sized particles. The burning rates of aluminum in these oxidizers can be added to predict an overall mixture burnout time adequately. This correlation should extend the ability of modelers to predict combustion rates of particles in solid rocket motor environments down to particle diameters of a few microns.     

镁颗粒群着火和燃烧过程数值模拟

建立了一维非稳态球形镁颗粒群的着火燃烧模型, 数值模拟镁颗粒群的着火和燃烧过程, 研究表明, 颗粒群着火首先发生在颗粒群边界, 随后初始的燃烧火焰会分离为两个, 一个向颗粒群内部传播, 一个向外部传播, 最终内部火焰消失, 外部火焰维持并控制着整个颗粒群的燃烧; 内火焰向颗粒群内部传播过程中, 传播速度会逐渐加快, 且火焰温度值呈逐渐降低趋势. 分析了颗粒群内部参数和环境参数对镁颗粒群着火燃烧的影响. 随颗粒浓度的增大, 颗粒群着火时间略有增长, 但火焰传播速度更快, 燃烧稳定时火焰球尺寸也更大. 颗粒群初温越高, 则颗粒群着火时间越短, 火焰传播速度也会加快, 但燃烧稳定时火焰球尺寸基本不变. 环境温度对颗粒群着火燃烧的影响较复杂, 环境温度越高, 颗粒群着火时间越短, 但火焰传播速度却越慢, 燃烧稳定时火焰球尺寸变化很小. 颗粒粒径和辐射源温度对颗粒群着火燃烧的影响较显著, 颗粒粒径越小或辐射源温度越高, 则颗粒群着火时间越短, 火焰传播速度越快, 燃烧稳定时火焰球尺寸也越大. 数值模拟结果与文献中试验结果相一致. 关键词： 粉末燃料冲压发动机 镁着火燃烧 颗粒群