Controlling the electrostatic discharge ignition sensitivity of composite energetic materials using carbon nanotube additives

Powder energetic materials are highly sensitive to electrostatic discharge (ESD) ignition. This study shows that small concentrations of carbon nanotubes (CNT) added to the highly reactive mixture of aluminum and copper oxide (Al + CuO) significantly reduces ESD ignition sensitivity. CNT act as a conduit for electric energy, bypassing energy buildup and desensitizing the mixture to ESD ignition. The lowest CNT concentration needed to desensitize ignition is 3.8 vol.% corresponding to percolation corresponding to an electrical conductivity of 0.04 S/cm. Conversely, added CNT increased Al + CuO thermal ignition sensitivity to a hot wire igniter.     

Desensitizing nano powders to electrostatic discharge ignition

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is a main cause for ignition in powder media ranging from grain silos to fireworks. Nanoscale particles are orders of magnitude more ESD ignition sensitive than their micron scale counterparts. This study shows that at least 13 vol. % carbon nanotubes (CNT) added to nano-aluminum and nano-copper oxide particles (nAl + CuO) eliminates ESD ignition sensitivity. The CNT act as a conduit for electric energy and directs electric charge through the powder to desensitize the reactive mixture to ignition. For nanoparticles, the required CNT concentration for desensitizing ESD ignition acts as a diluent to quench energy propagation.     

Ultra-lean limit extension for gasoline direct injection engine application via high energy ignition and flash boiling atomization

Extensive efforts have been made in achieving leaner combustion for gasoline direct injection (GDI) engines to further improve the thermal efficiency and reduce harmful emissions. Among these techniques, increasing ignition energy has been proven to be an effective method to achieve lean combustion. Few targets the atomization process of the fuel in generating a more homogenous fuel-air mixture, which is believed to be able to extend the lean flammability limit of the engine. This investigation explores the use of flash boiling atomization, a technique to improve spray atomization via elevating the fuel temperature, in combination with high energy ignition technique for better GDI engine performance under lean-burn conditions. For such purposes, a single-cylinder, optical GDI engine was used with high-speed imaging techniques, along with other measurement instruments. The fuel was preheated by a heating element and high energy ignitions were generated by a customized ignition system. ignitions with various initial currents (transistor coil ignition (TCI), 250 mA, and 500 mA) under both sub-cooled and flash boiling conditions were examined using different excess air ratios. It was found that using flash boiling atomization has extended the lean limit from 1.95 to 2.10 under the 500 mA initial current ignition. Other critical parameters such as indicative mean effective pressure (IMEP), emissions such as CO, NO_x, THC were also analyzed to demonstrate the impacts of high energy ignition and flash boiling atomization.     

Effects of fuel blending on first stage and overall ignition processes

The effects of blending ratio on mixtures of an alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel and a conventional petroleum-derived fuel on first stage ignition and overall ignition delay are examined at engine-relevant ambient conditions. Experiments are conducted in a high-temperature pressure vessel that maintains a small flow of dry air at the desired temperature (825 K and 900 K) and pressure (6 MPa and 9 MPa) for fuel injections from a custom single-hole, axially-oriented injector, representing medium (7.5 mg) and high (10 mg) engine loading. Formaldehyde, imaged using planar laser-induced fluorescence, is measured at discrete time steps throughout the first and second stage ignition process and is used as a marker of unburned short-chain hydrocarbons formed after the initial breakdown of the fuel. The formaldehyde images are used to calculate the first stage ignition delay for each ambient and fuel loading condition. Chemiluminescence imaging of excited hydroxyl radical at 75 kHz is used to determine the overall ignition delay. At all conditions, increased volume fraction of ATJ resulted in longer, but non-linearly increasing, overall ignition delay. Across all of the blends, first stage ignition delay accounted for about 15% of the increase in overall ignition delay compared to the military's aviation kerosene, F-24, which is Jet A with additives, while extended first stage ignition duration accounted for 85% of the increase. It is observed that blends consisting of 0–60% by volume of the low cetane number ATJ fuel produced nearly identical first stage ignition delays. These results will inform the development of ignition models that can capture the non-linear effects of fuel blending on ignition processes.     

等离子体闪光法识别薄膜损伤的误判消除方法

传统的等离子体闪光法,是根据探测器是否接收到来自薄膜样片周围发射的闪光信号,对薄膜是否发生损伤进行评判,这样的评判方法极易把空气与薄膜的等离子体闪光混淆而发生误判。为了消除这种误判,提出通过比较空气和薄膜各自的等离子体闪光的点燃时间,利用两者时间上的差异,实现对传统等离子体闪光法误判现象的消除方法。为了验证新方法的可靠性,借助于多光子吸收和级联电离理论,建立了空气等离体子体点燃时间的计算模型,根据薄膜与激光的相互作用原理建立了薄膜被击穿时的等离子体点燃时间计算模型,利用建立的模型仿真计算了空气和薄膜的等离子体闪光点燃时间分别为1.856和7.843 ns;搭建实验装置以实现对传统等离子体闪光法的更新,在装置中的不同位置设置三个光电探测器分别采集入射激光信号、空气和薄膜等离子体闪光信号,采集入射激光信号的光电探测器置于聚焦透镜的侧面,另外两个探测器位于薄膜样片周围且左右对称放置,分别用于采集薄膜的等离子体闪光信号和空气的等离子体闪光信号,所有光电探测器采集的信号转换为电信号后同步传输至示波器,以入射激光信号为基准信号,其与空气和薄膜等离子体闪光信号的起始时刻之差,分别为空气和薄膜等离子体闪光点燃时间。脉宽为10 ns、波长为1 064 nm的Nd∶YAG脉冲激光以0.015 cm的聚焦光斑半径、82.4 mJ的入射能量作用于光学厚度为λ/4、直径为20 mm的单层Al₂O₃薄膜样片上后,采集上述激光作用条件下的各路信号,经处理后得到的空气和薄膜的等离子体闪光点燃时间测试值分别为2.7和7.8 ns;理论计算和实验测试结果表明,空气的点燃时间总是小于薄膜的点燃时间,二者有很好的一致性。说明当强激光作用于单层Al₂O₃薄膜表面时,空气等离子体闪光先于薄膜等离子体闪光发生。基于空气和薄膜等离子体闪光点燃时间上的这种差异,利用闪光信号时间上的差别就可准确分辨出薄膜是否发生损伤,从而获得识别薄膜损伤与否的判据,这种从时间差异上识别薄膜等离子体闪光损伤的新方法,无论从理论上还是实验上均为传统等离子体闪光法误判现象的消除提供了技术基础。     

Fast,non-diffusive ignition of a gaseous reacting mixture subject to a point energy source

The ignition of a gaseous reactive mixture subject to a localized energy source is analysed using large activation energy asymptotics. The energy released by the source results in a thermal non-uniformity in a small region of the gas. We distinguish two different regimes, non-diffusive and diffusive, depending on the dominant cooling mechanism during the ignition stage: expansion effects or heat conduction. We focus on the non-diffusive ignition, considering the energy source as instantaneous. We show the existence of a critical value of a Damköhler number, defined as the ratio of the characteristic times of the expansion waves and chemical reaction, such that ignition only occurs for supercritical values at a well-defined ignition time, which is calculated numerically. The ignition process for a non-instantaneous energy source is also described in terms of an initial inert heating stage and a shorter reactive stage ending in thermal runaway for supercritical values of the Damköhler number.     

电场引发的嵌有碳纳米管的黑索金复合材料分解模拟

以电场作为引燃条件对含能材料的分解过程进行了研究。利用黑索金(RDX)单晶结构，构建了镶嵌有碳纳米管(CNT)的黑索金(RDX)复合结构模型，利用反应分子动力学模拟研究了该材料在外电场下的响应。结果表明构建的复合结构在方向沿CNT 的匀强电场下，能够以CNT 为中心形成反应热点；随着热点的成长，形成了自发行进的燃烧层，可以分解掉整个体系。     

Effect of carbon nanotube addition on the thermite reaction in the Al/CuO energetic nanocomposite

Abstract

In this work, the Al/CNT/CuO nano-thermite samples are prepared by ultrasonic mixing with variable CNT content. The morphology of nano-thermites analysed by electron microscopy revealed that the CNTs are dispersed and there are intimate contacts between fuels (Al and CNT) and oxidiser (CuO) constituents of the nano-thermite. Raman spectroscopy technique is used to analyse the structural integrity of the CNTs in the nano-thermite. The thermite reaction characteristics are evaluated by simultaneous thermogravimetric analysis/differential scanning calorimetry technique. The exothermic enthalpy of the Al/CNT/CuO nano-thermite samples increased with increasing CNT content. The effect of Al particle size and Al/Cu molar ratio variation on the thermite reaction enthalpy is also analysed. The ignition temperature of the thermite reaction is also lowered by 71 °C than that of Al/CuO nano-thermite. The activation energy for thermite reaction of Al/CNT/CuO nano-thermite is also lowered by 23% to that of pure Al/CuO. The residues of the nano-thermites after the thermite reaction at 1010 °C are collected and analysed by the X-ray diffraction.     

Effects of flash boiling injection on in-cylinder spray,mixing and combustion of a spark-ignition direct-injection engine

Higher engine efficiency and ever stringent pollutant emission regulations are considered as the most important challenges for today's automotive industry. Fast evaporation and combustion technique has caused unprecedented attention due to its potential to solve both of the above challenges. Flash boiling, which features a two-phase flow that constantly generates vapor bubbles inside the liquid spray is ideal to achieve fast evaporation and combustion inside direct-injection (DI) gasoline engines. In this study, three spray conditions, including liquid, transitional flash boiling and flare flash boiling spray were studied for comparison under cold start condition in a spark-ignition direct-injection (SIDI) optical gasoline engine. Optical access into the combustion chamber includes a quartz linear and a quartz insert on the piston. In separate experiments, we recorded the crank angle resolved spray morphology using laser scattering technique, and distribution of fuel before ignition employing laser induced fluorescence technology, as well as time-resolved color images of flame with high-speed camera. The spray morphology during the intake stroke shows stronger plume-plume and plume-air interaction under flash boiling condition, as well as smaller penetration. Then around the end of compression (before ignition), the fuel distribution is also shown to be more homogeneous with less cyclic variation under flash boiling. Finally, from the color images of the flame, it was found that with the increase of superheat degree, the diffusion rate of blue flame (generated by excited molecules) is higher, which is considered to be related with the larger fractal dimension of the flame front. Also, the combustion is more complete with less yellow flame under flash boiling.     

High-Frequency (MHz) Ignition of Commercial Flash Lamps for Solid State Lasers

Doklady Physics - A multiple (from 20 to 3 kV) decrease in the ignition threshold of commercial flash lamps for solid-state lasers under HF pumping at a megahertz frequency has been detected. It...     

Large eddy simulation of the low temperature ignition and combustion processes on spray flame with the linear eddy model

Large eddy simulation coupled with the linear eddy model (LEM) is employed for the simulation of n-heptane spray flames to investigate the low temperature ignition and combustion process in a constant-volume combustion vessel under diesel-engine relevant conditions. Parametric studies are performed to give a comprehensive understanding of the ignition processes. The non-reacting case is firstly carried out to validate the present model by comparing the predicted results with the experimental data from the Engine Combustion Network (ECN). Good agreements are observed in terms of liquid and vapour penetration length, as well as the mixture fraction distributions at different times and different axial locations. For the reacting cases, the flame index was introduced to distinguish between the premixed and non-premixed combustion. A reaction region (RR) parameter is used to investigate the ignition and combustion characteristics, and to distinguish the different combustion stages. Results show that the two-stage combustion process can be identified in spray flames, and different ignition positions in the mixture fraction versus RR space are well described at low and high initial ambient temperatures. At an initial condition of 850 K, the first-stage ignition is initiated at the fuel-lean region, followed by the reactions in fuel-rich regions. Then high-temperature reaction occurs mainly at the places with mixture concentration around stoichiometric mixture fraction. While at an initial temperature of 1000 K, the first-stage ignition occurs at the fuel-rich region first, then it moves towards fuel-richer region. Afterwards, the high-temperature reactions move back to the stoichiometric mixture fraction region. For all of the initial temperatures considered, high-temperature ignition kernels are initiated at the regions richer than stoichiometric mixture fraction. By increasing the initial ambient temperature, the high-temperature ignition kernels move towards richer mixture regions. And after the spray flames gets quasi-steady, most heat is released at the stoichiometric mixture fraction regions. In addition, combustion mode analysis based on key intermediate species illustrates three-mode combustion processes in diesel spray flames.     

Mechanism responsible for initiating carbon nanotube vacuum breakdown

We report a physical mechanism responsible for initiating a vacuum breakdown process of a single carbon nanotube (CNT) during field emission. A quasidynamic method has been developed to simulate the breakdown process and calculate the critical field, critical emission current density and critical temperature beyond which thermal runaway occurs before the CNT temperature reaches its melting point. This model is in good agreement with experiments carried out with a single CNT on a silicon microtip.     

On the possibility of target plasma ignition under the conditions of inertial nuclear fusion

The thermonuclear gain G for bulk and spark ignitions are calculated using a mathematical simulation of thermonuclear combustion in a DT plasma of laser targets for various parameters of the target plasma and (isobaric and isochoric) ignitors. The critical parameters of ignitors at which an effective nuclear burst occurs with G ～ 100 are calculated. It is shown that a further increase in the temperature and size of the ignitors virtually does not affect the efficiency of DT fuel burnup. Irrespective of the ignition technique, the value of G can be estimated with the help of a simple asymptotic formula. At the same time, the critical parameters of ignitors are determined to a considerable extent by the mode of ignition and by the target parameters. Spark ignition with an isochoric ignitor corresponding to the fast ignition mode is considered in detail. It is shown that the main critical parameter for optimal isochoric ignitors is their thermal energy liberated upon absorption of an auxiliary ultrashort laser pulse. The critical values of this energy are calculated.     

Ignition delay measurements of four component model gasolines exploring the impacts of biofuels and aromatics

This study explores the impacts of combinations of biofuel (ethanol, isobutanol and 2-methyl furan) and aromatic (toluene) compounds in a four component fuel blend, at fixed research octane number (RON) on ignition delay measured in an advanced fuel ignition delay analyzer (AFIDA 2805). Ignition delay measurements were performed over a range of temperatures from 400 to 725 °C (673 to 998 K) and two chamber pressures of 10 and 20 bar. The four component mixtures are compared to primary reference fuels at RON values of 90 and 100. The ignition delay measurements show that as the aromatic and biofuel concentrations increased, two stage ignition behavior was suppressed, at both initial chamber pressures. But both RON 100 (isooctane) and RON 90 reference fuels showed two stage ignition behavior, as did fuel mixtures with low biofuel and aromatic content. RON 90 fuels showed stronger two stage ignition behavior than RON 100 fuels, as expected. Depending on the type of biofuel in the mixture, the ignition delay at low chamber temperatures could be far greater than for the reference fuels. In particular, for the RON 100 mixtures at either 10 or 20 bar initial chamber pressure, the ignition delay at 400 °C (673 K) for the high level blend of 2-methyl furan and toluene (30 vol% of each) exhibited an ignition delay that was 10 times longer than for neat isooctane. The results show the strong non-linear octane blending response of these three biofuel compounds, especially in concert with the kinetic antagonism that toluene is known to display in mixtures with isooctane. These results have implications for the formulation of biofuel mixtures for spark ignition and advanced compression ignition engines, where this non-linear octane blending response could be exploited to improve knock resistance, or modulate the autoignition process.     

Initiation of a reaction in aluminum-Teflon multilayer thin-film samples by drop-hammer impact loading

Experimental results on the initiation of samples composed of alternating layers of aluminum foil (0.65, 4, 10, or 20 μm in thickness) and Teflon films (20 or 50 μm) by drop-hammer impact loading are presented. In contrast to powdery mixtures, lamellar compositions have a rigorously controlled surface area of contact of the interacting components. The light flash signifying the event of initiation and the impact pressure were recorded with a photodiode and a tensiometer, respectively. It was established that, under typical condition of initiation of HEs, the aluminum-Teflon lamellar samples are deformed as brittle materials. At a certain pressure, after the stage of elastic compression, a rapid disintegration (within 30 μs) with the formation of local reaction initiation sites at shear surfaces of individual segments occurs. The results obtained are indicative of the mechanochemical nature of the interaction between aluminum and Teflon layers under impact loading conditions.     

Neutron spectrometry in compact ignition experiments

Summary The role of neutron spectrometry is discussed as a diagnostics of plasmas of compact ignition experiments. The situation with regard to instrumentation (including diagnostic capabilities and limitations) is reviewed on the basis of existing experience and new solutions are proposed as required by compact-plasma observations. Especially, the question of time resolution is addressed and a dedicated spectrometer system is devised to make use of the high neutron fluxes expected for the nuclear-burn phase of compact plasmas. It is shown that a system of three neutron spectrometers can provide adequate data on ion temperature of D and DT plasmas over a range of plasma conditions of interest and with the required accuracy. The diagnostic output from this neutron spectrometer system is presented especially with regard to flash ignition studies.     

A kinetics and dynamics study on the auto-ignition of dimethyl ether at low temperatures and low pressures

Though the combustion chemistry of dimethyl ether (DME) has been widely investigated over the past decades, there remains a dearth of ignition data that examines the low-temperature, low-pressure chemistry of DME. In this study, DME/‘air’ mixtures at various equivalence ratios from lean (0.5) to extremely rich (5.0) were ignited behind reflected shock waves at a fixed pressure (3.0 atm) over the temperature range 625–1200 K. The ignition behavior is different from that at high-pressures, with a repeatable ignition delay time fall-off feature observed experimentally in the temperature transition zone from the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) regime to the high-temperature regime. This could not be reproduced using available kinetic mechanisms as conventionally homogeneous ignition simulations. The fall-off behavior shows strong equivalence ratio dependence and disappears completely at an equivalence ratio of 5.0. A local ignition kernel postulate was implemented numerically to quantifiably examine the inhomogeneous premature ignition. At low temperature, no pre-ignition occurs in the mixture. A conspicuous discrepancy was observed between the measurements and constrained UV simulations at temperatures beyond the NTC regime. A third O₂ addition reaction sub-set was incorporated into AramcoMech 3.0, together with related species thermochemistry calculated using the G3/G4/CBS-APNO compound method, to explore the low-temperature deviation. The new reaction class does not influence the model predictions in IDTs, but the updated thermochemistry does. Sensitivity analyses indicate that the decomposition of hydroperoxy-methylformate plays a critical role in improving the low-temperature oxidation mechanism of DME but unfortunately, the thermal rate coefficient has never been previously investigated. Further experimental and theoretical endeavors are required to attain holistic quantitative chemical kinetics based on our understanding of the low-temperature chemistry of DME.     

Ignition of a sequential combustor: Evidence of flame propagation in the autoignitable mixture

Ignition of the second stage in a lab-scale sequential combustor is investigated experimentally. A fuel mixing section between jet-in-cross-flow injection and the second stage chamber allows the fuel and vitiated, hot cross-flow to partially mix upstream of the main heat release zone. The focus of the present work is on the transient ignition process leading to a stable flame in the second stage. High-speed OH-PLIF as well as OH chemiluminescence imaging is applied to obtain complementary planar and line-of-sight integrated information on the ignition. We find experimental evidence for the co-existence of two regimes dominating the chamber ignition, i.e. autoignition and flame propagation. As the mass flow of the dilution air injected downstream of the first stage is increased (i.e. mixing temperatures in the fuel mixing section are decreased), we transition from an autoignition to a flame propagation dominated regime. Hysteresis in the ignition behavior is observed indicating that the first stage in a sequential combustor may be operated at leaner conditions than required for ignition of the second stage. The time traces of integral heat release obtained simultaneously with a photomultiplier tube show distinct features depending on the dominating regime, which is important for high-pressure testing with limited optical access.     

Novel conductance step in carbon nanotube with wing-like zigzag graphene nanoribbons

Connecting one armchair carbon nanotube(CNT) to several zigzag graphene nanoribbons(ZGNRs) we find that the topologically-protected edge states of ZGNRs and the massless Dirac particle inherited from CNT still hold from the analysis of the band structure and the edge state. Furthermore, the lowest conductance step at the valley bottom increases proportionally with increasing the number of ZGNR wings. A novel conductance step of a peak occurs in the valley, which is two steps higher than the lowest step at the valley bottom. In addition, with increasing the number of ZGNR wings the width of the novel conductance step becomes narrow.     

Ignition-to-spread transition of externally heated electrical wire

Ignition of electrical wires by external heating is investigated in order to gain a better understanding of the initiation of electrical-wire fires. An ignition-to-spread model is developed to systematically explain ignition and the following transition to spread. The model predicts that for a higher-conductance wire it is more difficult to achieve ignition and the weak flame may extinguish during the transition phase because of a large conductive heat loss along the wire core. An experimental study was performed using several sample wires with different core metals, diameters and coating thicknesses of polyethylene. A coil heater was adopted as the ignition source, and both the heat flux and heating time were selected as the main parameters to identify the flashpoint and spread point of wire fires. Experiments show that additional heating times after flash are required in order to fully pass the transition and achieve a spreading flame, agreeing with model predictions. Finally, the effects of different heating lengths, environmental pressures, and oxygen concentration on wire ignition are discussed, which may be useful for upgrading the design and standards of future fire-safe wires.