Engineering topics
Publications and source records attributed to Houseman, J..
Thermal generator, consisting of burner, reaction chamber, and heat exchanger, produces gas from gasoline/air mixture. Units can be utilized with spark ignition engine.
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A process and apparatus is described for producing a hydrogen rich gas from liquid hydrocarbons and water by means of the steam reforming process using a partial oxidation approach.
Experimental study of several sampling tube and probe material compositions and designs aimed at preventing nitric oxide reduction when sampling nitric oxide from combustion gases. A 250,000 Btu/h furnace fired with technical grade methane was used for testing the sampling probes over a wide range of air-fuel mixtures. The results obtained include the finding that the use of stainless steel in probes creates inaccuracies in near-stoichiometric and fuel-rich sampling in hydrocarbon flames. For very fuel-rich flames, water cooling is needed even in quartz probes to prevent significant reduction of nitric oxide.-
The propellant spray resulting from the impingement of liquid jets of hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide has been studied at atmospheric pressure by means of streak photography. The streak photographs show periodic small explosions that originate near the impingement point and propagate through the propellant spray at velocities of 3000 to 5000 fps, consuming all propellant droplets over a distance of up to 6 in. Typical streak photographs are presented. The frequency of the explosions or pops ranged up to several hundred cps, and could be controlled by varying the contact time in the liquid phase. Below a minimum threshold contact time, popping did not take place. At high values of contact time, the popping rate was controlled by the transit time of the free jet before impingement. Flashing of the oxidizer prior to impingement prevented popping under certain conditions. It is postulated that popping is initiated by liquid phase reactions. A mechanism for the occurrence of popping and its relation to reactive stream separation is suggested.
System detects gases in combustion chambers and records their levels of concentration. Simplified data recording and reduction process permits analysis rate of 9 msec per peak and recording of probe position, pressures, temperatures, and mass spectrometer data on same tape. System is applicable to air pollution control.
Computer controlled data handling system for quadrupole mass spectrometer performing on-line chemical analysis of rocket chamber combustion gases
Rocket engines with nitrogen tetroxide/hydrazine injectors destructive instability due to pressure disturbances, establishing origin, propagations velocity and pops extent by streak photography
Optimum penetration and separation mixing of unlike doublet injector element with hypergolic hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide propellants
High and low pressure models of stream separation for impinging hypergolic propellants which react strongly exothermically, estimating separation criteria