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At least 343 records · Page 19

Mars Science Laboratory Navigation Results

The Mars Science Laboratory (MSL), carrying the Curiosity rover to Mars, was launched on November 26, 2011, from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The target for MSL was selected to be Gale Crater, near the equator of Mars, with an arrival date in early August 2012. The two main interplanetary navigation tasks for the mission were to deliver the spacecraft to an entry interface point that would allow the rover to safely reach the landing area, and to tell the spacecraft where it entered the atmosphere of Mars, so it could guide itself accurately to close proximity of the landing target. MSL used entry guidance as it slowed down from the entry speed to a speed low enough to allow for a successful parachute deployment, and this guidance allowed shrinking the landing ellipse to a 99% conservative estimate of 7 by 20 kilometers. Since there is no global positioning system in Mars, achieving this accuracy was predicated on flying a trajectory that closely matched the reference trajectory used to design the guidance algorithm, and on initializing the guidance system with an accurate Mars-relative entry state that could be used as the starting point to integrate the inertial measurement unit data during entry and descent. The pre-launch entry flight path angle (EFPA) delivery requirement was +/- 0.20 deg, but after launch a smaller threshold of +/- 0.05 deg was used as the criteria for late trajectory correction maneuver (TCM) decisions. The pre-launch requirement for entry state knowledge was 2.8 kilometers in position error and 2 meters per second in velocity error, but also smaller thresholds were defined after launch to evaluate entry state update opportunities. The biggest challenge for the navigation team was to accurately predict the trajectory of the spacecraft, so the estimates of the entry conditions could be stable, and late trajectory correction maneuvers or entry parameter updates could be waved off. As a matter of fact, the prediction accuracy was such that the last TCM performed was a small burn executed eight days before landing, and the entry state that was calculated just 36 hours after that TCM, and that was uploaded to the spacecraft the same day, did not need to be updated. The final EFPA was 0.013 deg shallower than the -15.5 deg target, and the on-board entry state was just 200 meters in position and 0.11 meters per second in velocity from the post-landing reconstructed entry state. Overall the entry delivery and knowledge requirements were fulfilled with a margin of more than 90% with respect to the pre-launch thresholds. This excellent accuracy contributed to a very successful and accurate entry, descent, and landing, and surface mission.

navigation↗

Flame propagation under partially-premixed conditions

This study concentrates on developing a better understanding of triple flames. We relax the assumption of zero heat release, address the issue of stabilization, and, in order to investigate the role that heat release plays in flame propagation in partially premixed combustion, we return to a simple flow field and investigate the behavior of flames in a laminar environment. We solve the compressible Navier-Stokes equations in a two-dimensional domain. At the boundaries, we use an inflow boundary condition on the left and nearly-perfect reflective boundary conditions, required to avoid pressure drift, at the outflow and sides. After the flow and flame are initialized, the mixture fraction is varied at the inlet from its uniform stoichiometric value to a tanh profile varying from zero to one. As the mixture fraction gradient reaches the flame surface only the centerline is exposed to the stoichionetric mixture fraction and locally maintains the planar flame speed and reaction rate. Above this point the mixture is fuel rich, and below fuel lean. As a result, these regions of non-unity equivalence ratio burn less, the reaction rate drops, and the local flame speed is reduced. The excess fuel and oxidizer then combine behind the premixed flame along the stoichiometric surface and burn in a trailing diffusion flame. Thus the 'triple' flame refers to the fuel-rich premixed flame, the fuel-lean premixed flame, and the trailing diffusion flame. Due to heat release, the normal velocity across the flame is increased, whereas the tangential component remains unchanged. Far-field flame speed, local flame speed, and their differences are shown as a function of the local mixing thickness. It was also determined that the lateral position of the flame affects stabilization, and the distribution of the reaction rate along the premixed wings of triple flames affects flame propagation.

Ruetsch, Gregory R.↗

Deposition of Na2SO4 from salt-seeded combustion gases of a high velocity burner rig

The mechanism of deposition of Na2SO4 was studied under controlled laboratory conditions and the results have been compared to a recently developed comprehensive theory of vapor deposition. Thus Na2SO4, NaCl, NaNO3 and simulated sea salt solutions were injected into the combustor of a nominal Mach 0.3 burner rig burning jet fuel at constant fuel/air ratios. The deposits formed on inert collectors, rotation in the cross flow of the combustion gases, were weighed and analyzed. Collector temperature was uniform and could be varied over a large range by internal air cooling. Deposition rates and dew point temperatures were determined. Supplemental testing included droplet size measurements of the atomized salt solutions. These tests along with thermodynamic and transport calculations were utilized in the interpretation of the deposition results.

Santoro, G. J.↗

NASA Scout ST-1 Flight-Test Results and Analyses, Launch Operations, and Test Vehicle Description

The first of a series of flight tests for the development of the four-stage, solid-propellant Scout vehicle was conducted at the NASA Wallops Station under the direction of the Langley Research Center. Vehicle designation for the test was NASA Scout ST-1. Performance characteristics of the vehicle and components were recorded during a high-altitude probe mission. Flight-simulation studies are presented and show that the accuracy of the guidance system during the flight was within control-system design specifications. The control system functioned normally during the flight with the exception of an overpowering of the reaction-control roll jets near burnout of the third-stage rocket motor. The resulting roll displacement of the vehicle is shown to have caused the monitor tracking radar which had been erroneously tracking a radar beacon in the vehicle on a side lobe to reorient to the major lobe of the receiving antenna. This tracking switch falsely indicated a violent turning maneuver on the monitor plot board and resulted in a hold-fire decision for the fourth-stage rocket motor. Although data for the final thrusting and coast phase of the flight were not obtained, the majority of the test objectives were achieved. In-flight thrust misalignment angles for the second- and third-stage rocket motors derived from control-system error data and for the first-stage motor determined from flight-simulation studies are presented. All rocket-motor thrust misalignment angles were well within the tolerances used for control-system design. Rocket-motor flight performance is presented, and velocity increments attained from the first three stages substantiated the predicted nominal performance. Operation of the rocket motors was satisfactory with the exception of high-level vibrations which were encountered during third-stage motor burning. Rolling moments which overpowered the reaction-control jets are also attributed to the burning characteristics of the third-stage motor. A discussion of the premature loss of the third-stage heat shield is given and shows that the heat-shield latching mechanism failed from pressure loads as the vehicle entered the transonic speed range. Although venting was provided to relieve the high negative pressures known to exist on the heat shield at these speeds, a field modification of the wiring tunnel had the same effect as opening the inside of the heat shield to ambient pressures. Consequently, the latching mechanism failed from pressure loads which were of about the same magnitude as the latching-mechanism yield loads. Skin temperatures were recorded at several locations on the vehicle and were generally in good agreement with theoretical values. Aerodynamic heating presented no problem during the flight since the maximum temperatures recorded during the flight were only about half the design values because of the high-launch-angle trajectory. Environmental vibrations recorded in the vicinity of the guidance package showed that no significant continuous amplitude levels above the general instrumentation noise level were present during first- and second-stage burning. Large vibration amplitudes were recorded during third-stage burning which coincided with the large roll disturbance experienced by the vehicle near burnout of the third-stage motor.

Scout Launch Vehicle↗

Simple computations for near-optimum ascent and abort maneuver targets and deorbit ignition time

Closed-form solutions are presented for a two-burn orbit insertion, AOA, and ATO maneuver targets, and for time of ignition of a one-burn deorbit. Based on the assumption that the orbits involved deviate only to the first order about a reference circular orbit, these solutions are nearly fuel-minimum. They are expressed in terms of linear terminal velocity constraint shuttle guidance targets and, thus, are readily applicable to both ground and onboard software use. In addition to potential application to real-time targeting, the equations may be used as a mission design aid in preliminary definition of target loads and definition of abort mode boundaries.

Mchenry, R. L.↗

Soot Surface Growth in Laminar Hydrocarbon/Air Diffusion Flames

The structure and soot surface growth properties of round laminar jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Measurements were made along the axes of ethylene-, propylene-propane- and acetylene-benzene-fueled flames burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure with the reactants at normal temperature. The measurements included soot structure, soot concentrations, soot temperatures, major gas species concentrations, some radial species (H, OH and O) concentrations, and gas velocities. These measurements yielded the local flame properties that are thought to affect soot surface growth as well as local soot surface growth rates. When present results were combined with similar earlier observations of acetylene-fueled laminar jet diffusion flames, the results suggested that soot surface growth involved decomposition of the original fuel to form acetylene and H, which were the main reactants for soot surface growth, and that the main effect of the parent fuel on soot surface growth involved its yield of acetylene and H for present test conditions. Thus, as the distance increased along the axes of the flames, soot formation (which was dominated by soot surface growth) began near the cool core of the flow once acetylene and H appeared together and ended near the flame sheet when acetylene disappeared. Species mainly responsible for soot oxidation - OH and O2 were present throughout the soot formation region so that soot surface growth and oxidation proceeded at the same time. Present measurements of soot surface growth rates (corrected for soot surface oxidation) in laminar jet diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot surface growth rates in laminar premixed flames and exhibited good agreement with existing Hydrogen-Abstraction/Carbon-Addition (HACA) soot surface growth mechanisms in the literature with steric factors in these mechanisms having values on the order of unity, as anticipated.

El-Leathy, A. M.↗

Soot Surface Growth in Laminar Hydrocarbon/Air Diffusion Flames

The structure and soot surface growth properties of round laminar jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Measurements were made along the axes of ethylene-, propylene-propane- and acetylene-benzene-fueled flames burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure with the reactants at normal temperature. The measurements included soot structure, soot concentrations, soot temperatures, major gas species concentrations, some radial species (H, OH and 0) concentrations, and gas velocities. These measurements yielded the local flame properties that are thought to affect soot surface growth as well as local soot surface growth rates. When present results were combined with similar earlier observations of acetylene-fueled laminar jet diffusion flames, the results suggested that soot surface growth involved decomposition of the original fuel to form acetylene and H, which were the main reactants for soot surface growth, and that the main effect of the parent fuel on soot surface growth involved its yield of acetylene and H for present test conditions. Thus, as the distance increased along the axes of the flames, soot formation (which was dominated by soot surface growth) began near the cool core of the flow once acetylene and H appeared together and ended near the flame sheet when acetylene disappeared. Species mainly responsible for soot oxidation - OH and 02 were present throughout the soot formation region so that soot surface growth and oxidation proceeded at the same time. Present measurements of soot surface growth rates (corrected for soot surface oxidation) in laminar jet diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot surface growth rates in laminar premixed flames and exhibited good agreement with existing Hydrogen-Abstraction/Carbon-Addition (HACA) soot surface growth mechanisms in the literature with steric factors in these mechanisms having values on the order of unity, as anticipated.

El-Leathy, A. M.↗

Experimental Measurements of Two-dimensional Planar Propagating Edge Flames

The study of edge flames has received increased attention in recent years. This work reports the results of a recent study into two-dimensional, planar, propagating edge flames that are remote from solid surfaces (called here, free-layer flames, as opposed to layered flames along floors or ceilings). They represent an ideal case of a flame propagating down a flammable plume, or through a flammable layer in microgravity. The results were generated using a new apparatus in which a thin stream of gaseous fuel is injected into a low-speed laminar wind tunnel thereby forming a flammable layer along the centerline. An airfoil-shaped fuel dispenser downstream of the duct inlet issues ethane from a slot in the trailing edge. The air and ethane mix due to mass diffusion while flowing up towards the duct exit, forming a flammable layer with a steep lateral fuel concentration gradient and smaller axial fuel concentration gradient. We characterized the flow and fuel concentration fields in the duct using hot wire anemometer scans, flow visualization using smoke traces, and non-reacting, numerical modeling using COSMOSFloWorks. In the experiment, a hot wire near the exit ignites the ethane air layer, with the flame propagating downwards towards the fuel source. Reported here are tests with the air inlet velocity of 25 cm/s and ethane flows of 967-1299 sccm, which gave conditions ranging from lean to rich along the centerline. In these conditions the flame spreads at a constant rate faster than the laminar burning rate for a premixed ethane air mixture. The flame spread rate increases with increasing transverse fuel gradient (obtained by increasing the fuel flow rate), but appears to reach a maximum. The flow field shows little effect due to the flame approach near the igniter, but shows significant effect, including flow reversal, well ahead of the flame as it approaches the airfoil fuel source.

Villa-Gonzalez, Marcos↗

Velocity Measurements Across an Oblique Shock Using Pulse-burst Cross-correlation DGV

Pulse-burst cross-correlation Doppler global velocimetry is performed in the NASA Langley Unitary Plan Wind Tunnel. The technique is used to make planar velocity measurements across an oblique shockwave, which is generated by a large splitter plate set at a -2° angle of attack in a Mach 2.4 flow. Assessment of the velocimetry indicates agreement with theoretical velocity values to within 0.6 percent on average. The single-scan spatial velocity precision is measured to be between 0.3 and 0.5 m/s, while the ensemble (1σ) precision of the measurements was within 2.2 percent of the measured velocities. The promising results encountered in this testing campaign indicate that the technique could be useful for studying more complex flow fields.

lasers↗

AWSD Reactive Burn Model for the HMX‐Based High Explosive LX‐04

An Arrhenius–Wescott–Stewart–Davis (AWSD) reactive burn model is applied to describe shock initiation and detonation properties of the HMX-based high explosive LX-04. The parameters in the model are calibrated to data from multiple sources. The thermodynamic equations of state used in the model are calibrated to a combination of thermochemical calculations for HMX and LX-04 as well as experimentally-measured cylinder expansion results for LX-04. The kinetic parameters are calibrated to velocity data from gas gun experiments performed using EDC-32—a high explosive with the same chemical composition as LX-04 but different structural properties, and scaled rate stick data for PBX 9012. The AWSD model is shown to accurately describe the shock initiation and propagation of LX-04. Very good agreement is observed between the available experimental data and the AWSD model output. The presented results constitute an accurate LX-04 reactive burn model for use in engineering-scale models and simulations.

45 MILITARY TECHNOLOGY, WEAPONRY, AND NATIONAL DEF↗

Preliminary Design of the Guidance, Navigation, and Control System of the Altair Lunar Lander

Guidance, Navigation, and Control (GN&C) is the measurement and control of spacecraft position, velocity, and attitude in support of mission objectives. This paper provides an overview of a preliminary design of the GN&C system of the Lunar Lander Altair. Key functions performed by the GN&C system in various mission phases will first be described. A set of placeholder GN&C sensors that is needed to support these functions is next described. To meet Crew safety requirements, there must be high degrees of redundancy in the selected sensor configuration. Two sets of thrusters, one on the Ascent Module (AM) and the other on the Descent Module (DM), will be used by the GN&C system. The DM thrusters will be used, among other purposes, to perform course correction burns during the Trans-lunar Coast. The AM thrusters will be used, among other purposes, to perform precise angular and translational controls of the ascent module in order to dock the ascent module with Orion. Navigation is the process of measurement and control of the spacecraft's "state" (both the position and velocity vectors of the spacecraft). Tracking data from the Earth-Based Ground System (tracking antennas) as well as data from onboard optical sensors will be used to estimate the vehicle state. A driving navigation requirement is to land Altair on the Moon with a landing accuracy that is better than 1 km (radial 95%). Preliminary performance of the Altair GN&C design, relative to this and other navigation requirements, will be given. Guidance is the onboard process that uses the estimated state vector, crew inputs, and pre-computed reference trajectories to guide both the rotational and the translational motions of the spacecraft during powered flight phases. Design objectives of reference trajectories for various mission phases vary. For example, the reference trajectory for the descent "approach" phase (the last 3-4 minutes before touchdown) will sacrifice fuel utilization efficiency in order to provide landing site visibility for both the crew and the terrain hazard detection sensor system. One output of Guidance is the steering angle commands sent to the 2 degree-of-freedom (dof) gimbal actuation system of the descent engine. The engine gimbal actuation system is controlled by a Thrust Vector Control algorithm that is designed taking into account the large quantities of sloshing liquids in tanks mounted on Altair. In this early design phase of Altair, the GN&C system is described only briefly in this paper and the emphasis is on the GN&C architecture (that is still evolving). Multiple companion papers will provide details that are related to navigation, optical navigation, guidance, fuel sloshing, rendezvous and docking, machine-pilot interactions, and others. The similarities and differences of GN&C designs for Lunar and Mars landers are briefly compared.

Lee, Allan Y.↗

Formulation and Testing of Paraffin-Based Solid Fuels Containing Energetic Additives for Hybrid Rockets

Many approaches have been considered in an effort to improve the regression rate of solid fuels for hybrid rocket applications. One promising method is to use a fuel with a fast burning rate such as paraffin wax; however, additional performance increases to the fuel regression rate are necessary to make the fuel a viable candidate to replace current launch propulsion systems. The addition of energetic and/or nano-sized particles is one way to increase mass-burning rates of the solid fuels and increase the overall performance of the hybrid rocket motor.1,2 Several paraffin-based fuel grains with various energetic additives (e.g., lithium aluminum hydride (LiAlH4) have been cast in an attempt to improve regression rates. There are two major advantages to introducing LiAlH4 additive into the solid fuel matrix: 1) the increased characteristic velocity, 2) decreased dependency of Isp on oxidizer-to-fuel ratio. The testing and characterization of these solid-fuel grains have shown that continued work is necessary to eliminate unburned/unreacted fuel in downstream sections of the test apparatus.3 Changes to the fuel matrix include higher melting point wax and smaller energetic additive particles. The reduction in particle size through various methods can result in more homogeneous grain structure. The higher melting point wax can serve to reduce the melt-layer thickness, allowing the LiAlH4 particles to react closer to the burning surface, thus increasing the heat feedback rate and fuel regression rate. In addition to the formulation of LiAlH4 and paraffin wax solid-fuel grains, liquid additives of triethylaluminum and diisobutylaluminum hydride will be included in this study. Another promising fuel formulation consideration is to incorporate a small percentage of RDX as an additive to paraffin. A novel casting technique will be used by dissolving RDX in a solvent to crystallize the energetic additive. After dissolving the RDX in a solvent chosen for its compatibility with both paraffin and RDX, the mixture will be combined with the melted paraffin. With the melting point of the paraffin far below the decomposition temperature of the RDX, the solvent will be boiled off, leaving the crystallized RDX embedded in the paraffin. At low percentages of RDX additive and with crystallized RDX surrounded by paraffin, the fuel grains will remain inert, maintaining a key benefit of hybrids in the safety of the solid fuel.

Larson, Daniel B.↗

Proof-of-concept of a neutron time-of-flight ellipsoidal detector

The time-resolved measurement of neutrons emitted from nuclear implosions at inertial confinement fusion facilities is used to characterize the fusing plasma. Several significant quantities are routinely measured by neutron time-of-flight (nToF) detectors in these experiments. Current nToF detectors use scintillators as well as solid-state Cherenkov radiators. The latter has an inherently faster time response and can provide a co-registered γ-ray measurement as well as improved precision in the bulk hot-spot velocity. This work discusses a nToF ellipsoidal detector that also utilizes a solid-state Cherenkov radiator. The detector has the potential to achieve a fast instrument response function allowing for characterization of the γ-ray burn history as well as the ability to field the detector closer to the fusion source. Proof-of-concept testing of the nToF ellipsoidal detector has been conducted at the National Ignition Facility using commercial optics. A time-resolved neutron signal has been measured from the diagnostic. Preliminary simulations corroborate the results.

Jeet, J. (ORCID:0000000291091563)↗

Investigating growth to detonation in vapor-deposited hexanitrostilbene and pentaerythritol tetranitrate films using high-throughput methods

In this work, a high-throughput experimental setup was used to characterize initiation threshold and growth to detonation in the explosives hexanitrostilbene (HNS) and pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). The experiment sequentially launched an array of laser-driven flyers to shock samples arranged in a 96-well microplate geometry, with photonic Doppler velocimetry diagnostics to characterize flyer velocity and particle velocity at the explosive–substrate interface. Vapor-deposited films of HNS and PETN were used to provide numerous samples with various thicknesses, enabling characterization of the evolution of growth to detonation. One-dimensional hydrocode simulations were performed with reactions disabled to illustrate where the experimental data deviate from the predicted inert response. Prompt initiation was observed in 144 μm thick HNS films at flyer velocities near 3000 m/s and in 125 μm thick PETN films at flyer velocities near 2400 m/s. This experimental setup enables rapid quantification of the growth of reactions in explosive materials that can reach detonation at sub-millimeter length scales. These data can subsequently be used for parameterizing reactive burn models in hydrocode simulations, as discussed in Paper II [D. E. Kittell, R. Knepper, and A. S. Tappan, J. Appl. Phys. 131, 154902 (2022)].

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Time resolved density measurements in premixed turbulent flames

Premixed, turbulent flames are important in connection with investigations of fundamental, turbulent-reacting-flow processes and the study of practical combustion devices, such as spark ignition engines and premixed, prevaporized gas turbine combustors which burn premixed reactants. The considered investigation is concerned with the application of laser induced Rayleigh scattering to measure the gas density in premixed, methane-air flames. A description is provided of the results of density and velocity measurements in an open, lean, premixed methane-air flame stabilized in grid turbulence of low Reynolds number. It is found that where applicable, Rayleigh scattering can be used to good advantage to measure molecular number density. Mean and rms density results show that the mean flame thickens with axial distance but that the maximum in rms does not change appreciably.

Dandekar, K. V.↗

Soot Formation in Laminar Acetylene/Air Diffusion Flames at Atmospheric Pressure

The flame structure and soot-formation (soot nucleation and growth) properties of axisymmetric laminar coflowing jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Test conditions involved acetylene-nitrogen jets burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were limited to the axes of the flames and included soot concentrations, soot temperatures, soot structure, major gas species concentrations, radical species (H, OH, and O) concentrations, and gas velocities. The results show that as distance increases along the axes of the flames, detectable soot formation begins when significant H concentrations are present, and ends when acetylene concentrations become small. Species potentially associated with soot oxidation-O2, CO2, H2O, O, and OH-are present throughout the soot-formation region so that soot formation and oxidation proceed at the same time. Strong rates of soot growth compared to soot nucleation early in the soot-formation process, combined with increased rates of soot nucleation and oxidation as soot formation proceeds, causes primary soot particle diameters to reach a maximum relatively early in the soot-formation process. Aggregation of primary soot particles proceeds, however, until the final stages of soot oxidation. Present measurements of soot growth (corrected for soot oxidation) in laminar diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot growth in laminar premixed flames and exhibited encouraging agreement with existing hydrogen-abstraction/carbon-addition (HACA) soot growth mechanisms in the literature that were developed based on measurements within laminar premixed flames. Measured primary soot particle nucleation rates in the present laminar diffusion flames also were consistent with corresponding rates measured in laminar premixed flames and yielded a crude correlation in terms of acetylene and H concentrations and the temperature.

Xu, F.↗

Soot Formation in Laminar Acetylene/Air Diffusion Flames at Atmospheric Pressure

The flame structure and soot-formation (soot nucleation and growth) properties of axisymmetric laminar coflowing jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Test conditions involved acetylene-nitrogen jets burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were limited to the axes of the flames and included soot concentrations, soot temperatures, soot structure, major gas species concentrations, radical species (H, OH, and O) concentrations, and gas velocities. The results show that as distance increases along the axes of the flames, detectable soot formation begins when significant H concentrations are present, and ends when acetylene concentrations become small. Species potentially associated with soot oxidation--O2, CO2, H2O, O, and OH-are present throughout the soot-formation region so that soot formation and oxidation proceed at the same time. Strong rates of soot growth compared to soot nucleation early in the soot-formation process, combined with increased rates of soot nucleation and oxidation as soot formation proceeds, causes primary soot particle diameters to reach a maximum relatively early in the soot-formation process. Aggregation of primary soot particles proceeds, however, until the final stages of soot oxidation. Present measurements of soot growth (corrected for soot oxidation) in laminar diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot growth in laminar premixed flames and exhibited encouraging agreement with existing hydrogen-abstraction/carbon-addition (HACA) soot growth mechanisms in the literature that were developed based on measurements within laminar premixed flames. Measured primary soot particle nucleation rates in the present laminar diffusion flames also were consistent with corresponding rates measured in laminar premixed flames and yielded a crude correlation in terms of acetylene and H concentrations and the temperature.

Xu, F.↗

Soot Formation in Laminar Acetylene/Air Diffusion Flames at Atmospheric Pressure

The flame structure and soot-formation (soot nucleation and growth) properties of axisymmetric laminar coflowing jet diffusion flames were studied experimentally. Test conditions involved acetylene-nitrogen jets burning in coflowing air at atmospheric pressure. Measurements were limited to the axes of the flames and included soot concentrations, soot temperatures, soot structure, major gas species concentrations, radical species (H, OH, and O) concentrations, and gas velocities. The results show that as distance increases along the axes of the flames, detectable soot formation begins when significant H concentrations are present, and ends when acetylene concentrations become small. Species potentially associated with soot oxidation-O2, CO2, H2O, O, and OH-are present throughout the soot-formation region so that soot formation and oxidation proceed at the same time. Strong rates of soot growth compared to soot nucleation early in the soot-formation process, combined with increased rates of soot nucleation and oxidation as soot formation proceeds, causes primary soot particle diameters to reach a maximum relatively early in the soot-formation process. Aggregation of primary soot particles proceeds, however, until the final stages of soot oxidation. Present measurements of soot growth (corrected for soot oxidation) in laminar diffusion flames were consistent with earlier measurements of soot growth in laminar premixed flames and exhibited encouraging agreement with existing hydrogen-abstraction/carbon-addition (HACA) soot growth mechanisms in the literature that were developed based on measurements within laminar premixed flames. Measured primary soot particle nucleation rates in the present laminar diffusion flames also were consistent with corresponding rates measured in laminar premixed flames and yielded a crude correlation in terms of acetylene and H concentrations and the temperature.

Xu, F.↗