An Aerosol Rapid Compression Machine for Studying Energetic-Nanoparticle-Enhanced Combustion of Liquid Fuels

Journal Article · · Int. J. Chem. Kinet.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.proci.2010.06.007· OSTI ID:1065142

Allen, C.; Mittal, G.; Sung, C. J.; Toulson, E.; Lee, T.

The use of energetic nanoparticles offers a promising means of adjusting the reactivity of liquid fuels for enhanced combustion stability in next generation propulsion systems. This work outlines the development of a novel aerosol rapid compression machine (RCM) for studying the impact of energetic nanoparticles on reducing the ignition delay of liquid fuels, and a proof-of-concept demonstration is presented using ethanol and JP-8. Fuel droplets are generated using an ultrasonic nozzle. The seeding of 50 nm aluminum nanoparticles in the liquid fuel is achieved by using a combination of chemical surfactants in addition to mixing in an ultrasonic bath. The autoignition delay is measured for neat and nanoparticle-enhanced mixtures at compressed conditions of 772–830 K and 12–28 bar in the RCM. The results show that significant changes in the ignition delay can be observed using a low concentration (2%-weight) of energetic nanoparticles. For ethanol and JP-8, ignition delays were reduced by 32% and 50%, respectively. Measurements to verify the uniformity of aerosol dispersion in the RCM, the reproducibility of the RCM data, and a method for approximating compressed temperature are also presented.

• Research Organization: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC) (United States). Combustion Energy Frontier Research Center (CEFRC)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
• DOE Contract Number: SC0001198
• OSTI ID: 1065142
• Journal Information: Int. J. Chem. Kinet., Vol. 33; Related Information: CEFRC partners with Princeton University (lead); Argonne National Laboratory; University of Connecticut; Cornell University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; University of Minnesota; Sandia National Laboratories; University of Southern California; Stanford University; University of Wisconsin, Madison
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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