Development of an Aerosol Loading Technique for Ignition Time Measurements in Shock Tubes

Abstract

Public Reporting Burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Approved for public release; distribution unlimited DEVELOPMENT OF AN AEROSOL LOADING TECHNIQUE FOR IGNITION TIME MEASUREMENTS IN SHOCK TUBES Report Title ABSTRACTWe have developed a new aerosol loading technique to be used in shock tube measurements of combustion kinetics, in particular ignition times, of low-vapor pressure fuels. This technique provides a uniform spatial distribution of aerosol in the shock tube, which ensures well-behaved shock-induced flows and a narrow micron-sized aerosol size distribution that rapidly evaporates, thereby providing the capability to produce high-concentration vapor mixtures derived from a wide variety of fluids including low-vapor-pressure practical fuels and fuel surrogates. At present we utilize the incident shock wave to vaporize the fuel droplets, and the reflected shock wave to induce chemical reaction. We report here the first aerosol shock tube ignition delay time measurements of n-dodecane/O2/argon mixtures. These measurements are found to be consistent with those made in our heated shock tube facility.