Experimental Investigation of Sootshell Formation in Microgravity Droplet Combustion.
Experimental Investigation of Sootshell Formation in
Microgravity Droplet Combustion.
(402 K)
Manzello, S. L.; Yozgatligil, A.; Choi, M. Y.
International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Vol.
47, No. 24, 5381-5385, November 2004.
Keywords:
soot; microgravity; combustion; flame fronts;
experiments; soot formation; droplets
Abstract:
Spherically symmetric droplet combustion experiments
were performed at the NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC)
2.2 second drop tower in Cleveland, OH in an effort to
better understand the mechanism leading to sootshell
formation. Rapid insertion of a blunt plunger was used
to remove the symmetric sootshell that formed during the
period of quasi-steady burning. This allowed for the
observation of sootshell re-formation. Soot particles
were formed near the flame front and migrated towards
the droplet to ultimately reside at the sootshell
location. These experiments helped to bring about a
better understanding of soot transport in microgravity
droplet combustion.
Building and Fire Research Laboratory
National Institute of Standards and Technology
Gaithersburg, MD 20899