Laser Transmission Measurements and Plume Particle Size Distributions for Propellant Burn Tests at ATK Elkton in May 2012
Multi-wavelength laser transmittance was measured during a series of open-air propellant burn tests at Alliant Techsystems, Inc., in Elkton, MD, in May 2012. A Mie scattering model was combined with an alumina optical properties model in a simple single-scatter approach to fitting plume transmittance. Wavelength-dependent plume transmission curves were fit to the measured multi-wave- length transmittance data to infer plume particle size distributions at several heights in the plume. Tri-modal lognormal distributions described transmittance data well at all heights. Overall distributions included a mode with nanometer-scale diameter, a second mode at a diameter of ~0.5 µm, and a third, larger particle mode. Larger parti- cles measured 2.5 µm in diameter at 34 cm (14 in.) above the burning propellant surface, but grew to 4 µm in diameter at a height of 57 cm (22 in.), indicative of particle agglomeration in progress as the plume rises. This report presents data, analysis, and results from the study.
- Research Organization:
- John Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Nuclear Energy (NE), Office of Space and Defense Power Systems (NE-75)
- DOE Contract Number:
- NE0008189
- OSTI ID:
- 1157648
- Report Number(s):
- AMD-14-043; 1157011
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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