On the uncertainty of temperature estimation in a rapid compression machine

Journal Article · Sat Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2015 · Combustion and Flame

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2015.03.001· OSTI ID:1369844

Weber, Bryan W. ^[1]; Sung, Chih-Jen ^[1]; Renfro, Michael W. ^[1]

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1. Univ. of Connecticut, Storrs, CT (United States)

Rapid compression machines (RCMs) have been widely used in the combustion literature to study the low-to-intermediate temperature ignition of many fuels. In a typical RCM, the pressure during and after the compression stroke is measured. Yet, measurement of the temperature history in the RCM reaction chamber is challenging. Thus, the temperature is generally calculated by the isentropic relations between pressure and temperature, assuming that the adiabatic core hypothesis holds. To estimate the uncertainty in the calculated temperature, an uncertainty propagation analysis must be carried out. Our previous analyses assumed that the uncertainties of the parameters in the equation to calculate the temperature were normally distributed and independent, but these assumptions do not hold for typical RCM operating procedures. Here, a Monte Carlo method is developed to estimate the uncertainty in the calculated temperature, while taking into account the correlation between parameters and the possibility of non-normal probability distributions. In addition, the Monte Carlo method is compared to an analysis that assumes normally distributed, independent parameters. Both analysis methods show that the magnitude of the initial pressure and the uncertainty of the initial temperature have strong influences on the magnitude of the uncertainty. Finally, the uncertainty estimation methods studied here provide a reference value for the uncertainty of the reference temperature in an RCM and can be generalized to other similar facilities.

• 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); National Science Foundation (NSF)
• Grant/Contract Number: SC0001198; CBET-1402231
• OSTI ID: 1369844
• Alternate ID(s): OSTI ID: 1246740
• Journal Information: Combustion and Flame, Vol. 162, Issue 6; 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; ISSN 0010-2180
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

42 ENGINEERING
Rapid compression machine
Temperature uncertainty
Adiabatic core hypothesis
Uncertainty quantification
Monte Carlo analysis
Error propagation