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At least 55 records · Page 3

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NASA NTRS1947

Effect of Fuel on Performance of a Single Combustor of an I-16 Turbojet Engine at Simulated Altitude Conditions

As part of a study of the effects of fuel composition on the combustor performance of a turbojet engine, an investigation was made in a single I-16 combustor with the standard I-16 injection nozzle, supplied by the engine manufacturer, at simulated altitude conditions. The 10 fuels investigated included hydrocarbons of the paraffin olefin, naphthene, and aromatic classes having a boiling range from 113 degrees to 655 degrees F. They were hot-acid octane, diisobutylene, methylcyclohexane, benzene, xylene, 62-octane gasoline, kerosene, solvent 2, and Diesel fuel oil. The fuels were tested at combustor conditions simulating I-16 turbojet operation at an altitude of 45,000 feet and at a rotor speed of 12,200 rpm. At these conditions the combustor-inlet air temperature, static pressure, and velocity were 60 degrees F., 12.3 inches of mercury absolute, and 112 feet per second respectively, and were held approximately constant for the investigation. The reproducibility of the data is shown by check runs taken each day during the investigation. The combustion in the exhaust elbow was visually observed for each fuel investigated.

Zettle, Eugene V↗

NASA NTRS2011

Characterization of Catalyst Materials for Production of Aerospace Fuels

Due to environmental, economic, and security issues, there is a greater need for cleaner alternative fuels. There will undoubtedly be a shift from crude oil to non-petroleum sources as a feedstock for aviation (and other transportation) fuels. Additionally, efforts are concentrated on reducing costs coupled with fuel production from non-conventional sources. One solution to this issue is Fischer-Tropsch gas-to-liquid technology. Fischer-Tropsch processing of synthesis gas (CO/H2) produces a complex product stream of paraffins, olefins, and oxygenated compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes. The Fisher-Tropsch process can produce a cleaner diesel oil fraction with a high cetane number (typically above 70) without any sulfur or aromatic compounds. This process is most commonly catalyzed by heterogeneous (in this case, silver and platinum) catalysts composed of cobalt supported on alumina or unsupported alloyed iron powders. Physisorption, chemisorptions, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) are described to better understand the potential performance of Fischer-Tropsch cobalt on alumina catalysts promoted with silver and platinum. The overall goal is to preferentially produce C8 to C18 paraffin compounds for use as aerospace fuels. Progress towards this goal will eventually be updated and achieved by a more thorough understanding of the characterization of catalyst materials. This work was supported by NASA s Subsonic Fixed Wing and In-situ Resource Utilization projects.

DeLaRee, Ana B.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Characterization of Catalyst Materials for Production of Aerospace Fuels

Best, Lauren M.↗

NASA NTRS1993

Simplified jet fuel reaction mechanism for lean burn combustion application

Successful modeling of combustion and emissions in gas turbine engine combustors requires an adequate description of the reaction mechanism. Detailed mechanisms contain a large number of chemical species participating simultaneously in many elementary kinetic steps. Current computational fluid dynamic models must include fuel vaporization, fuel-air mixing, chemical reactions, and complicated boundary geometries. A five-step Jet-A fuel mechanism which involves pyrolysis and subsequent oxidation of paraffin and aromatic compounds is presented. This mechanism is verified by comparing with Jet-A fuel ignition delay time experimental data, and species concentrations obtained from flametube experiments. This five-step mechanism appears to be better than the current one- and two-step mechanisms.

Lee, Chi-Ming↗

NASA NTRS1981

Experimental Study of Fuel Heating at Low Temperatures in a Wing Tank Model, Volume 1

Scale model fuel heating systems for use with aviation hydrocarbon fuel at low temperatures were investigated. The effectiveness of the heating systems in providing flowability and pumpability at extreme low temperature when some freezing of the fuel would otherwise occur is evaluated. The test tank simulated a section of an outer wing tank, and was chilled on the upper and lower surfaces. Turbine engine lubricating oil was heated, and recirculating fuel transferred the heat. Fuels included: a commercial Jet A; an intermediate freeze point distillate; a higher freeze point distillate blended according to Experimental Referee Broadened Specification guidelines; and a higher freeze point paraffinic distillate used in a preceding investigation. Each fuel was chilled to selected temperature to evaluate unpumpable solid formation (holdup). Tests simulating extreme cold weather flight, without heating, provided baseline fuel holdup data. Heating and recirculating fuel increased bulk temperature significantly; it had a relatively small effect on temperature near the bottom of the tank. Methods which increased penetration of heated fuel into the lower boundary layer improved the capability for reducing holdup.

Stockemer, F. J.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Alternate-Fueled Combustor-Sector Performance: (A) Combustor Performance; (B) Combustor Emissions - Parts A and B

Alternate aviation fuels for military or commercial use are required to satisfy MIL-DTL-83133F(2008) or ASTM D 7566 (2010) standards, respectively, and are classified as "drop-in" fuel replacements. To satisfy legacy issues, blends to 50% alternate fuel with petroleum fuels are certified individually on the basis of processing and assumed to be feedstock agnostic. Adherence to alternate fuels and fuel blends requires "smart fueling systems" or advanced fuel-flexible systems, including combustors and engines, without significant sacrifice in performance or emissions requirements. This paper provides preliminary performance (Part A) and emissions and particulates (Part B) combustor sector data. The data are for nominal inlet conditions at 225 psia and 800 F (1.551 MPa and 700 K), for synthetic-paraffinic-kerosene- (SPK-) type (Fisher-Tropsch (FT)) fuel and blends with JP-8+100 relative to JP-8+100 as baseline fueling. Assessments are made of the change in combustor efficiency, wall temperatures, emissions, and luminosity with SPK of 0%, 50%, and 100% fueling composition at 3% combustor pressure drop. The performance results (Part A) indicate no quantifiable differences in combustor efficiency, a general trend to lower liner and higher core flow temperatures with increased FT fuel blends. In general, emissions data (Part B) show little differences, but with percent increase in FT-SPK-type fueling, particulate emissions and wall temperatures are less than with baseline JP-8. High-speed photography illustrates both luminosity and combustor dynamic flame characteristics.

Shouse, D. T.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Prediction of propellant behavior in spinning flow of a space motor

A model for 2-phase flow dynamics in a spinning spherical rocket motor, developed for the Ofeq satellite program, is based on the sectional approach to solution of the flow equations. An experimental model was built, to enable the motion of the aluminum/aluminum-oxide particles resulting from combustion within a solid-fuel motor to be simulated by injected paraffin droplets. The injected droplets included under-5 micrometer droplets which move with the gas stream and larger droplets, averaging 20 micrometer diameter, which simulate the motion of aluminum particles. The test chamber comprised a pair of cylindrical pyrex tubes with a sharp contraction in diameter, rotated at various speeds by a frequency-controllable motor. An optical system, based on a 5 W argon ion laser with a beam splitter and frequency shifter, mounted on a movable table, facilitated sectional measurements of the three velocity components and determination of size-velocity relationships. Preliminary results indicate that the effect of rotation on axial velocity is negligible, while its effect on tangential velocity approximates to solid-body rotation.

Gany, A.↗

NASA NTRS1981

Autothermal reforming of sulfur-free and sulfur-containing hydrocarbon liquids

The mechanisms by which various fuel component hydrocarbons related to both heavy petroleum and coal-derived liquids are converted to hydrogen without forming carbon were investigated. Reactive differences between paraffins and aromatics in autothermal reforming (ATR) were shown to be responsible for the observed fuel-specific carbon formation characteristics. The types of carbon formed in the reformer were identified by SEM and XRD analyses of catalyst samples and carbon deposits. From tests with both light and heavy paraffins and aromatics, it is concluded that high boiling point hydrocarbons and polynuclear aromatics enhance the propensity for carbon formation. The effects of propylene addition on the ATR performance of benzene are described. In ATR tests with mixtures of paraffins and aromatics, synergistic effects on conversion characteristics were identified. Indications that the sulfur content of the fuel may be the limiting factor for efficient ATR operation were found. The conversion and degradation effects of the sulfur additive (thiophene) were examined.

Source record↗

NASA NTRS1982

Tests of blending and correlation of distillate fuel properties

The development of a fuel test matrix, results from tests of several blends of distillate aircraft fuels, and the use of correlations in formulation determination during a NASA-sponsored program to identify new aircraft fuels are described. The program was initiated in order to characterize fuel blends which are appropriate for different types of combustors in use and under development. The fuels were required to feature a specified range of properties. Attention is given to fuel volatility, hydrogen content, aromatic content, freezing point, kinematic viscosity, and naphthalene content. Paraffinic and naphtenic base stocks were employed, using alkyl benzene, naphthene benzenes, and naphthalenes to adjust the blend properties. Categories for the test fuels comprised source-controlled and composition controlled fuels. Test results and compositions of various fuels are provided.

Erwin, J.↗

NASA NTRS2014

Organic Analysis of Catalytic Fischer-Tropsch Synthesis Products and Ordinary Chondrite Meteorites by Stepwise Pyrolysis-GCMS: Organics in the Early Solar Nebula

Abiotic generation of complex organic compounds, in the early solar nebula that formed our solar system, is hypothesized by some to occur via Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. In its simplest form, FT synthesis involves the low temperature (<300degC) catalytic reaction of hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases to form more complex hydrocarbon compounds, primarily n-alkanes, via reactive nano-particulate iron, nickel, or cobalt, for example. Industrially, this type of synthesis has been utilized in the gas-to-liquid process to convert syngas, produced from coal, natural gas, or biomass, into paraffin waxes that can be cracked to produce liquid diesel fuels. In general, the effect of increasing reaction temperature (>300degC) produces FT products that include lesser amounts of n-alkanes and greater alkene, alcohol, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) compounds. We have begun to experimentally investigate FT synthesis in the context of abiotic generation of organic compounds in the early solar nebula. It is generally thought that the early solar nebula included abundant hydrogen and carbon monoxide gases and nano-particulate matter such as iron and metal silicates that could have catalyzed the FT reaction. The effect of FT reaction temperature, catalyst type, and experiment duration on the resulting products is being investigated. These solid organic products are analyzed by thermal-stepwise pyrolysis-GCMS and yield the types and distribution of hydrocarbon compounds released as a function of temperature. We show how the FT products vary by reaction temperature, catalyst type, and experimental duration and compare these products to organic compounds found to be indigenous to ordinary chondrite meteorites. We hypothesize that the origin of organics in some chondritic meteorites, that represent an aggregation of materials from the early solar system, may at least in part be from FT synthesis that occurred in the early solar nebula.

Locke, Darren R.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Lean Blowout (LBO) Simulations in a Rich-Burn Quick-Quench Lean-Burn (RQL) Gas Turbine Combustor

The transient processes involving lean blowout (LBO) in a RQL combustor such as the single cup combustor in the National Jet Fuels Combustion Program (NJFCP) referee rig are simulated with the reduced mechanisms based on Hybrid Chemistry for two different fuels, Cat-A2 and Cat-C1. Cat-A2 fuel is Jet-A with average or nominal properties based on a survey of the Petroleum Quality Information System database. The Cat-C1, an alternative jet fuel, is a GEVO alcohol-to-jet (ATJ) fuel composed almost entirely of two highly-branched C12 and C16 iso-paraffins. Experiments conducted in the NJFCP referee rig established a stable flame at an equivalence ratio of 0.096 (the near LBO condition) as the starting condition for LBO tests performed with all Category A and C fuels. Simulations of the approach to LBO verify that a stable flame is established at the near-LBO condition for each fuel before reducing fuel flow rate (and thus equivalence ratio) in a step-wise manner. At each new equivalence ratio, the global heat release rate and total fuel evaporation time histories are monitored to verify a new stable flame condition has been established before performing the next reduction in equivalence ratio until the flame is approaching the blowout. Main conclusions are threefold: (1) For Cat-C1 fuel the equivalence ratio for LBO is around 0.087. (2) For Cat-A2 fuel the equivalence ratio for LBO is either 0.082 or 0.078 depended on the time span of equivalence ratio of 0.085. (3) The averaged difference from LES on LBO for Cat-C1 relative to Cat-A2 is 8.75% versus 7.8% from the experimental data.

LES, Lean blow out↗

NASA NTRS1977

Effect of nitrogenous bases on the thermal stability of jet fuels

Fuels from naphthenic petroleums were evaluated, and it was found that they had more N bases than those paraffinic ones (0.00024 and 0.000009% N, respectively). The removal of the N bases improved significantly the thermal stability and reduced the residue formation during oxidation of the fuel. The improvement depended on both content and composition of the bases. Thus, fuels with similar content of N bases (0.00058% N) and thermal stability had oxidation residues of 17.5 and 5.6 and sol. gum of 13 and 1.5 mg/100 ml, before and after removing the N bases, respectively.

Englin, B. A.↗

NASA NTRS1983

Investigation of sources, properties and preparation of distillate test fuels

Distillate test fuel blends were generated for prescribed variations in composition and physical properties. Fuels covering a wide range in properties and composition which would provide a matrix of fuels for possible use in future combustion research programs were identified. Except for tetralin the blending components were all from typical refinery streams. Property variation blends span a boiling range within 150 C to 335 C, freezing point -23 C to -43 C, aromatic content 20 to 50 volume percent, hydrogen content 11.8 to 14.2 mass percent, viscosity 4 and 11 cSt (-20 C), and naphthalenes 8 and 16 volume percent. Composition variation blends were made with two base stocks, one paraffinic and the other napthenic. To each base stock was added each of three aromatic type fuels (alkyl benzenes, tetralin, and naphthalenes) for assigned initial boiling point, final boiling point, and hydrogen content. The hydrogen content was 13.5 mass percent for the paraffinic base stock blends and 12.5 mass percent and 11.5 mass percent for the naphthenic base stock blends. Sample 5-gallon quantities of all blends were prepared and analyzed.

Bowden, J. N.↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

CFD Evaluation of Aviation Fuels for Commercial Supersonics Technology

An overview is provided of a CFD analysis of a Lean-Direct Injection (LDI) combustion concept for NASA’s Commercial Supersonic Transport (CST) program. The National Combustion Code (OpenNCC) was used to perform two-phase reacting flow computations with three different aviation fuels for UTRC’s Axially Controlled Stoichiometry (ACS) combustor at CST cruise conditions. All computations were performed with a consistent approach of mesh-generation, spray and chemical-kinetics modeling for the combustor. Emissions (EICO, EINOx) and performance characteristics were predicted with OpenNCC, to evaluate the impact of replacing Jet-A with RP2 and Iso-Paraffinic Kerosene (IPK) for supersonic combustor applications. The CFD predictions of flame structure for IPK fuel were significantly different in comparison to those of Jet-A and RP2 fuel. However, the CFD analysis predicted very similar EINOx emissions for Jet-A, RP-2 and IPK fuels. The predicted EINOx emissions for all three fuels also compared very well with measured experimental data.

gas turbine combustion↗

NASA NTRS2015

Hybrid Propulsion In-Situ Resource Utilization Test Facility Results

Hybrid rockets present a promising alternative to conventional chemical propulsion systems for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and in-space applications. While they have many benefits for these applications, there are still many small details that require research before they can be adopted into flight systems. A flexible test facility was developed at JPL to test operation of hybrid motors at small scale (5 cm outer diameter fuel grains) over a range of conditions. Specifically, this paper studies two of the major advantages: low temperature performance and throttling. Paraffin-based hybrid rockets are predicted to have good performance at low temperatures. This could significantly decrease the overall system mass by minimizing the thermal conditioning required for Mars or outer planet applications. Therefore, the coefficient of thermal expansion and glass transition of paraffin are discussed. Additionally, deep throttling has been considered for several applications. This was a natural starting point for hotfire testing using the hybrid propulsion ISRU test facility. Additionally, short length to diameter ratio (L/D) fuel grains are tested to determine if these systems can be packaged into geometrically constrained spaces.

Karp, Ashley Chandler↗

NASA NTRS2011

Fischer-Tropsch Catalyst for Aviation Fuel Production

As the oil supply declines, there is a greater need for cleaner alternative fuels. There will undoubtedly be a shift from crude oil to non-petroleum sources as a feedstock for aviation (and other transportation) fuels. The Fischer-Tropsch process uses a gas mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen which is converted into various liquid hydrocarbons; this versatile gas-to-liquid technology produces a complex product stream of paraffins, olefins, and oxygenated compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes. The Fischer-Tropsch process can produce a cleaner diesel oil fraction with a high cetane number (typically above 70) without any sulfur and aromatic compounds. It is most commonly catalyzed by cobalt supported on alumina, silica, or titania or unsupported alloyed iron powders. Cobalt is typically used more often than iron, in that cobalt is a longer-active catalyst, has lower water-gas shift activity, and lower yield of modified products. Promoters are valuable in improving Fischer-Tropsch catalyst as they can increase cobalt oxide dispersion, enhance the reduction of cobalt oxide to the active metal phase, stabilize a high metal surface area, and improve mechanical properties. Our goal is to build up the specificity of the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst while adding less-costly transition metals as promoters; the more common promoters used in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis are rhenium, platinum, and ruthenium. In this report we will describe our preliminary efforts to design and produce catalyst materials to achieve our goal of preferentially producing C8 to C18 paraffin compounds in the NASA Glenn Research Center Gas-To-Liquid processing plant. Efforts at NASA Glenn Research Center for producing green fuels using non-petroleum feedstocks support both the Sub-sonic Fixed Wing program of Fundamental Aeronautics and the In Situ Resource Utilization program of the Exploration Technology Development and Demonstration program.

deLaRee, Ana B.↗

NASA NTRS2012

Fischer-Tropsch Catalyst for Aviation Fuel Production

As the oil supply declines, there is a greater need for cleaner alternative fuels. There will undoubtedly be a shift from crude oil to nonpetroleum sources as a feedstock for aviation (and other transportation) fuels. The Fischer-Tropsch process uses a gas mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen which is converted into various liquid hydrocarbons; this versatile gas-to-liquid technology produces a complex product stream of paraffins, olefins, and oxygenated compounds such as alcohols and aldehydes. The Fischer-Tropsch process can produce a cleaner diesel oil fraction with a high cetane number (typically above 70) without any sulfur and aromatic compounds. It is most commonly catalyzed by cobalt supported on alumina, silica, or titania or unsupported alloyed iron powders. Cobalt is typically used more often than iron, in that cobalt is a longer-active catalyst, has lower water-gas shift activity, and lower yield of modified products. Promoters are valuable in improving Fischer-Tropsch catalyst as they can increase cobalt oxide dispersion, enhance the reduction of cobalt oxide to the active metal phase, stabilize a high metal surface area, and improve mechanical properties. Our goal is to build up the specificity of the Fischer-Tropsch catalyst while adding less-costly transition metals as promoters; the more common promoters used in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis are rhenium, platinum, and ruthenium. In this report we will describe our preliminary efforts to design and produce catalyst materials to achieve our goal of preferentially producing C8 to C18 paraffin compounds in the NASA Glenn Research Center Gas-To-Liquid processing plant. Efforts at NASA Glenn Research Center for producing green fuels using non-petroleum feedstocks support both the Sub-sonic Fixed Wing program of Fundamental Aeronautics and the In Situ Resource Utilization program of the Exploration Technology Development and Demonstration program.

DeLaRee, Ana B.↗

NASA NTRS1950

Antiknock evaluation of hydrocarbons and ethers as aviation fuel components

The results of a NACA investigation conducted over a period of several years to evaluate the anti-knock characteristics of organic compounds are summarized. Included are data for 18 branched paraffins and olefins, 27 aromatics, and 22 ethers. The factors of performance investigated were blending characteristics, temperature sensitivity, lead response, and relation between molecular structure and antiknock ratings. Four engines were used.

Barnett, Henry C↗