Spark ignition of monodisperse aerosols

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1986

OSTI ID:5351620

Singh, A K

An experimental investigation was carried to determine the minimum spark ignition energy of monodisperse tetraline aerosols in a laminar gas flow. The ignition experiments were conducted for droplet diameters between 6.7 and 40 ..mu..m, gas to fuel ratios 13.8 and 28.8, and for volumetric oxygen concentration of 17.2 and 21%. Electrode gap width and spark duration were varied from 2 to 5 mm and 40 to 130 ..mu..s respectively, The apparatus used consisted of an aerosol generator, an ignition unit and spark gap assembly for measurement of spark energy, and an optical system for droplet size measurement. The gas to fuel ratio was determined by analyzing CO/sub 2/ and O/sub 2/ concentration in the combustion products. The results are presented in terms of spark ignition frequency because a sharp division between ignition and non-ignition was not found. The experimental results indicate: a relatively weak dependence on spark duration, an optimum spark gap width between 3 and 4 mm, an increase in minimum spark ignition energy with decreasing oxygen concentration in the gas, a decrease in spark ignition energy as the gas fuel ratio approaches from lean to stoichiometric, a maximum ignition frequency which may be less than 100% depending on droplet size, and an optimum droplet size between 22 and 26 ..mu..m for minimum spark ignition energy.

• Research Organization: Rutgers--the State Univ., New Brunswick, NJ (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5351620
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
330101 -- Internal Combustion Engines-- Spark-Ignition
42 ENGINEERING
421000* -- Engineering-- Combustion Systems
AEROSOL GENERATORS
AEROSOLS
AROMATICS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
COLLOIDS
COMBUSTION
DISPERSIONS
ELECTRIC DISCHARGES
ELECTRIC SPARKS
HYDROCARBONS
IGNITION
IGNITION QUALITY
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDATION
PARTICLE SIZE
SIZE
SOLS
TETRALIN
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES