Solid-phase ignition of a composite propellant by a hot particle under free-convection heat sink into the environment

A mathematical model of the solid-phase ignition of a structurally inhomogeneous metallized composite propellant by an incandescent small particle in the form of a cylindrical disk with allowance for free-convection heat sink into the environment is developed. A numerical study of the ignition delay time, the main integral characteristics of the process, is performed. The calculation results are compared to experimental data on the ignition of model propellant compositions based on ammonium perchlorate, butyl rubber, and ASD-4 aluminum powder.     

Heat and mass transfer at gas-phase ignition of grinded coal layer by several metal particles heated to a high temperature

Characteristics of gas-phase ignition of grinded brown coal (brand 2B, Shive-Ovoos deposit in Mongolia) layer by single and several metal particles heated to a high temperature (above 1000 K) have been investigated numerically. The developed mathematical model of the process takes into account the heating and thermal decomposition of coal at the expense of the heat supplied from local heat sources, release of volatiles, formation and heating of gas mixture and its ignition. The conditions of the joint effect of several hot particles on the main characteristic of the process–ignition delay time are determined. The relation of the ignition zone position in the vicinity of local heat sources and the intensity of combustible gas mixture warming has been elucidated. It has been found that when the distance between neighboring particles exceeds 1.5 hot particle size, an analysis of characteristics and regularities of coal ignition by several local heat sources can be carried out within the framework of the model of “single metal particle / grinded coal / air”. Besides, it has been shown with the use of this model that the increase in the hot particle height leads, along with the ignition delay time reduction, to a reduction of the source initial temperatures required for solid fuel ignition. At an imperfect thermal contact at the interface hot particle / grinded coal due to the natural porosity of the solid fuel structure, the intensity of ignition reduces due to a less significant effect of radiation in the area of pores on the heat transfer conditions compared to heat transfer by conduction in the near-surface coal layer without regard to its heterogeneous structure.     

Numerical study of ignition of a metallized condensed substance by a source embedded into the subsurface layer

A numerical simulation of the ignition of structurally heterogeneous condensed material by a small single particle heated to high temperature, a typical limited heat content source of is performed within the framework of a solid-phase ignition model. The effect of the depth of embedment of the heated particle into the subsurface layer of the metallized material on the integral characteristics of the ignition is examined.     

The numerical simulation of two-dimensional aluminized composite solid propellent combustion

A numerical framework is presented which examines, for the first time, the burning of two-dimensional aluminized solid propellants. Aluminized composite propellants present a difficult mathematical and numerical challenge because of complex physics and topological changes that occur at the propellant surface. For example, both mathematical models and appropriate numerical solvers must describe the regressing burning surface, aluminium particle detachment and evolution throughout the gas-phase flow field, surface tension effects, ignition and combustion of aluminium particles, phase change effects, agglomeration of aluminium particles, radiation feedback to the propellant surface, to name a few. All of these effects must be modelled in a consistent manner. A numerical framework for which these effects can be included in a rational fashion is currently being developed. This framework includes the level set method to capture the solid–gas interface as well as particle motion in the gas phase. Some preliminary calculations of the two-dimensional combustion field supported by a disc pack with embedded aluminium particles are presented.     

Ammonium Nitrate as an Eco–Friendly Oxidizer for Composite Solid Propellants: Promises and Challenges

Ammonium nitrate (AN) has received attraction globally not only as a nitrogenous fertilizer but also as an oxidizer in gas generators and propellants. Nowadays, great attention is being focused on the development of composite solid propellants with green oxidizers in realizing eco–friendly combustion products. The ammonium perchlorate (AP), which is the work horse oxidizer in composite propellant, needs replacement due to its environmental and human health issues. In this context, AN is regarded as an alternative to AP because of its easy availability and environmentally friendly chlorine free combustion products. However, AN has its own inherent drawbacks such as hygroscopicity, room temperature phase transition, and low burning rate. Recently, several studies have been focused on its phase stabilization and burning rate modification so as to develop solid propellants with improved properties. The knowledge of thermal characteristics of AN is a crucial factor for its applications in propellants and gas generators. This article details the different aspects of polymorphism, phase stabilization, thermal decomposition, hygroscopicity, specific impulse, and burn rate modification of AN and also addresses ways to overcome the inherent weakness of AN as a propellant oxidizer in formulating an effective propellant composition.     

Numerical simulation of solid-phase ignition of metallized condensed matter by a particle heated to a high temperature

Numerical simulation of the ignition of a composite propellant by a single “hot” particle of metal is carried out in the framework of the solid-phase model of ignition. The dependences of the ignition lag time for a metallized condensed matter on the initial temperature of a local energy source are determined. Close agreement of the obtained theoretical results with the known experimental data is found.     

Characteristics of composite propellant ignition by a CO2-laser

The delay time of ignition of a composite propellant based on ammonium perchlorate by a CO₂-laser is measured at various pressures and radiant flux densities. The characteristics of the propellant at the moment of ignition are calculated. The obtained rate constants of the reactions in the propellant are compared to the respective rate constants of the reactions in the c-phase occurring during the combustion of the composite propellant.     

3D problem of heat and mass transfer at the ignition of a combustible liquid by a heated metal particle

A nonlinear nonstationary 3D problem of heat and mass transfer at gas phase ignition of a combustible liquid spread on the surface of a solid body by a metal particle heated to a high temperature is solved. This is done within the framework of a model taking into account the heat conduction and evaporation of the liquid, the diffusion and convection of the combustible vapors in the oxidizer medium, the crystallization of the ignition source, the kinetics of the processes of evaporation and ignition of liquids, the dependence of the thermophysical characteristics of the interacting substances on the temperature, and the moisture content of the oxidizer—air. The dependences of the ignition delay time of the liquid on the temperature and sizes of the heating source are established. Limiting values of the temperature and particle sizes at which the ignition conditions take place are determined. The influence of the air humidity on the inertia of the process being investigated is analyzed. A comparison of numerical values of typical parameters of the process under investigation for 2D and 3D models is performed.     

Heat and mass transfer at the ignition of a liquid substance by a single “Hot” particle

The results of a numerical solution to the problem of heat and mass transfer at the ignition of a liquid flammable substance by a single particle heated to a high temperature located on its surface are presented. The problem is solved within the framework of a gas phase model of ignition. A mathematical model is formulated. It describes the following processes in a two-dimensional statement: the heat conduction and evaporation of a flammable liquid and the diffusion and convection of the combustible vapors in the oxidizer medium in the system “particle heated to a high temperature-liquid flammable substance-air.” The numerical investigations established the relation between the ignition delay time, the particle temperature and sizes, and the particle minimum temperature and sizes at which ignition of a combustible liquid is possible.     

Simulation of the ignition of a liquid fuel with a hot particle

A two-dimensional gas-phase model of ignition of a flammable liquid by a single particle heated to a high temperature with consideration given to heat conduction, evaporation, diffusion, and convection of fuel vapor in an oxidizer medium was developed. Numerical simulations made it possible to determine the dependences of the ignition delay time for the liquid on the size and initial temperature of the particle. The minimum size and initial temperature of the particle at which ignition still occurs were estimated.     

Ignition and combustion of a falling, single sodium droplet

Ignition and combustion of a single sodium droplet has been studied experimentally, by use of a falling droplet. It is found that the ignition delay time increases first gradually and then rapidly, with decreasing initial temperature and/or oxygen concentration, and reaches the limit of ignitability, because of the suppression of surface reaction in the ignition stage. It is also found that with decreasing droplet diameter, the ignition delay time first decreases gradually, because of the decrease in the droplet mass to be heated, and then increases steeply, because of the enhancement of heat loss from the droplet surface. As for the effect of the relative speed, it is found that the ignition delay time increases with increasing relative speed, because of the enhanced heat loss. Experimental comparisons with the analytical results have also been conducted to elucidate dominant parameters, and it is confirmed that a set of comprehensive parameters in the literature can be useful in correlating dominant parameters that influence the ignition delay and/or the limit of ignitability. Furthermore, the analysis has been extended to determine the critical size for the ignition and that for the minimum ignition delay time. Combustion behavior after the ignition has also been examined, and it is found that d²-law can hold for the sodium droplet combustion. In addition, it is found that the burning rate-constant without forced convection has nearly the same value as those for usual hydrocarbon droplets, while the sodium combustion in air is quite similar to that of the usual hydrocarbon fuel in an oxidizer-rich environment.     

On the structure of the combustion wave of nitroglycerine-based propellants

The parameters of the temperature distribution in the combustion wave of nitroglycerin-based propellants N and NB are analyzed and compared. The aim of the study is to explain the known experimental fact that the size of hotspots and the critical quenching diameter for propellant NB (more rapidly burning) are larger than those for propellant N. It is demonstrated that, at a given burning rate, the burning surface temperature, heat conduction zone thickness, temperature gradient near the burning surface, and the dark zone temperature for propellants N and NB are the same, but the fizz zone thickness for NB is approximately twice as wide as that for N. The dependence of the ratio of the hotspot size to the fizz zone thickness is described by a single power law for both propellants. It is also shown that the hotspot size can be defined as the distance between two consecutive transverse waves, which, in turn, is determined by the delay in the initiation of each following wave.     

Heat and mass transfer in a coal-water fuel particle at the stage of “thermal” treatment

The problem of heat and mass transfer has been solved numerically under the conditions of coal-water fuel particle ignition. The concurrent processes of evaporation, filtration of steam, thermal decomposition of the organic part of coal, thermal and chemical interaction of steam and coke carbon, and oxidation of products of their reaction and volatiles by the external oxidizer have been taken into account. The scales of influence of individual thermophysical and thermochemical properties of coals on the characteristics and conditions of ignition of coal-water slurry have been determined.     

Influence of the degree of coal metamorphism on characteristics and conditions of ignition of coal-water fuel drops

The results of theoretical studies of the processes of ignition of water-coal fuel droplets based on brown coal, semi-anthracite, anthracite, long-flame and fat coal under the conditions corresponding to the combustion spaces of typical modern boilers are presented. The influence of the degree of metamorphism (structural-molecular transformation of organic matter of coal) and concentration of the organic component of the base fuel (coal) on the conditions of ignition of water-coal fuel particles is analyzed. It is determined that the type and grade of coal have a significant impact on the dynamics of fuel ignition. It was shown that in the case of ignition of coal-water fuel made of mineral coal, the ignition of particles based on semi-anthracite and anthracite is the fastest (by 20%), and ignition of coal-water fuels of fat coal is the slowest. The latter is explained by the lower heat capacity and thermal effect of pyrolysis of this fuel, as well as the relatively high heat conductivity of anthracite coal as compared to fat coal. It has been determined that drops of coal-water fuel made of brown coal ignite substantially (2 times) faster than drops prepared from coal of coal-water particles. This is due to the high content of volatiles in the composition of brown coal.Comparative analysis of the main characteristics of the process: ignition delay times (t_ign) obtained by mathematical modeling and experiments showed a satisfactory agreement between the theoretical and experimental values of t_ign.     

In-situ observation of the combustion of air-dried and wet Victorian brown coal

This work investigates the fundamental and practical implications of the application of drying technologies to Victorian brown coal combustion. The base case of 60% moisture content coal preheated prior to combustion is compared with partially dried coal (with or without pre-heating) and coal dried to equilibrium moisture content (10–15%). Pulverised coal was combusted in a drop tube furnace and in-situ observations of combustion phenomena, particle temperature and gas temperature were made. An ignition delay was found to occur when partially dried coal was combusted without pre-heating. Flame stability was also decreased when wet coal was combusted without pre-heating. No ignition delay was observed when the water in coal was heated prior to entering the furnace, as in current boilers. The peak particle temperature was found to be higher than the wall temperature by around 130 °C for dried coal, 80 °C for preheated wet coal and 40 °C for non-preheated partially dried coal. The gas temperature profile in the furnace was measured and found to lag behind the particle temperature peak. It was concluded that the evolution and evaporation of water in the wet case lead to an ignition delay, cooler peak particle temperatures and prolonged char combustion. The difference in particle temperatures between preheated wet coal and dried coal and the gas temperature behaviour was attributed to the steam gasification reaction, although studies to elucidate reasons for the differences are ongoing. The quantified results on ignition delay and particle temperatures have important implications for the design of new technologies, in particular the boilers and feed size preparation, for power generation from high-moisture brown coals.     

Multipoint radiation induced ignition of dust explosions: turbulent clustering of particles and increased transparency

Understanding the causes and mechanisms of large explosions, especially dust explosions, is essential for minimising devastating hazards in many industrial processes. It is known that unconfined dust explosions begin as primary (turbulent) deflagrations followed by a devastating secondary explosion. The secondary explosion may propagate with a speed of up to 1000 m/s producing overpressures of over 8–10 atm, which is comparable with overpressures produced in detonation. Since detonation is the only established theory that allows rapid burning producing a high pressure that can be sustained in open areas, the generally accepted view was that the mechanism explaining the high rate of combustion in dust explosions is deflagration-to-detonation transition. In the present work we propose a theoretical substantiation of an alternative mechanism explaining the origin of the secondary explosion producing high speeds of combustion and high overpressures in unconfined dust explosions. We show that the clustering of dust particles in a turbulent flow ahead of the advancing flame front gives rise to a significant increase of the thermal radiation absorption length. This effect ensures that clusters of dust particles are exposed to and heated by radiation from hot combustion products of dust explosions for a sufficiently long time to become multi-point ignition kernels in a large volume ahead of the advancing flame. The ignition times of a fuel–air mixture caused by radiatively heated clusters of particles is considerably reduced compared with the ignition time caused by an isolated particle. Radiation-induced multipoint ignitions of a large volume of fuel–air ahead of the primary flame efficiently increase the total flame area, giving rise to the secondary explosion, which results in the high rates of combustion and overpressures required to account for the observed level of overpressures and damage in unconfined dust explosions, such as for example the 2005 Buncefield explosion and several vapour cloud explosions of severity similar to that of the Buncefield incident.     

The diffusion flame structure of an ammonium perchlorate based composite propellant at elevated pressures

Examination of the surface behavior and flame structure of a bimodal ammonium perchlorate (AP) composite propellant at elevated pressure was performed using high speed (5 kHz) planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) from 1 to 12 atm and visible surface imaging spanning 1–20 atm. The dynamics of the combustion of single, coarse AP crystals were resolved using these techniques. It was found that the ignition delay time for individual AP crystals contributed significant to the particle lifetime only at pressures below about 6 atm. In situ AP crystal burning rates were found to be higher than rates reported for pure AP deflagration studies. The flame structure was studied by exciting OH molecules in the gas phase. Two types of diffusion flames were observed above the composite propellant: jet-like flames and v-shaped, inverted, overventilated, flames (IOF) lifted off the surface. While jet-like diffusion flames have been imaged at low pressures and simulated by models, the lifted IOFs have not been previously reported or predicted. The causes for the observed flame structures are explained by drawing on an understanding of the surface topography and disparities in the burning rates of the fuel and oxidizer.     

Additive manufacturing of ammonium perchlorate composite propellant with high solids loadings

The effective solid propellant burning rate in a rocket depends on surface area and propellant composition. Currently, the surface area geometry in a rocket is limited to what can be practically cast using molds, etc. Additive manufacturing (AM) could allow the production of unique propellant grain geometries, however printing propellants with high solids loadings and viscosities is not readily possible using currently available printers. A new AM direct write system developed recently in our laboratory, is capable of printing visibly low-void propellants with high end mix viscosities into highly resolved geometries. The system was used to print ammonium perchlorate (AP) composite propellants at 85% solids loading using hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) and a UV-curable polyurethane binder. The change in HTPB propellant viscosity with time after mixing was measured and the microstructure of the strands was evaluated with X-ray tomography scans. The burning rate of printed and cast strands was measured to compare the quality of the strands at high pressure, since propellants with significant voids should catastrophically fail due to flame spreading. The printed samples burned in a planar fashion up to pressures of 10.34 MPa with consistent rates that were comparable to the cast propellants. The HTPB propellant used was not optimized and showed some porosity due to gas generation, but strands printed with the UV binder exhibited extremely low porosity. A strand printed with no gaps in one half and gaps in the other failed catastrophically where intended at high pressure, demonstrating the ability to spatially grade propellants. This new system can produce adequate strands of composite propellant with high solids loadings without the addition of solvents, special binders (low viscosity, thermal softening, etc.), or restricting use to formulations with lower viscosities, and enables the fabrication of complex propellant grain geometries.     

Understanding the role of fire retardants on the discontinuous ignition of wildland fuels

This work reports on a theoretical and experimental study on the role of fire retardant treatments on the discontinuous ignition of wildland fuels. The effect of the concentration of fire retardant in the solution applied to the vegetation is as expected to increase the ignition delay time. We found that the fire retardant modifies the fuel bed effective thermophysical properties, delaying the thermal response of the specimen when subjected to an incident heat flux. Nevertheless, the critical heat flux remains unaltered within the experimental error. We followed a proven approach based on the thermal ignition theory and testing which however has not been previously employed to study fire retardants on wildland fuels. To carry this out, we performed experiments on the I-FIT apparatus, which yields repeatable results and controlled boundary conditions. The theoretical model shows a good agreement with the experimental results, delivering simple expressions for pencil-and-paper calculations of the ignition delay time and analytical tools to evaluate effective fuel properties. These results will help CONAF and other forest services around the world to gain insight on the optimal concentrations and delivery methods for these types of products during wildfire response.     

Numerical investigation of pulverized coal particle group combustion using tabulated chemistry

The ignition and combustion of coal particle groups are investigated numerically in a laminar flow reactor. The Flamelet Generated Manifold method is extended to account for the complex mixture of gases being released during devolatilization, which is calculated with a competing two-step model. A second mixture fraction is introduced to include the mixing with the second methane fuel stream. The interactions of the gas phase with particles are modeled within a fully coupled Euler-Lagrange framework. To investigate the influence of particle groups on ignition and combustion, successively increasing densities of particle streams have been analyzed. The ignition delay time is increased significantly by higher particle densities. This delay is validated successfully with the available measurements. Moreover, the shape of the volatile flame was found to be strongly influenced by the particle number density inside the flame. A transition from spherical flames around single particles to a conical flame around the particle cloud could be found in numerical results as well as in experiments. As the primary mechanism for the substantial ignition delay and the formation of the flame, the increased heat transfer from the gas-phase to the particle group, resulting in lower gas-phase temperatures, was identified.