MRI: Development of Combustion Vessel for the Study of Gas and Dispersed Liquid Phase at Elevated Pressure and Temperature

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Proposal No. CTS-0619585Principal Investigator: J. D. Naber, Michigan Technological InstituteMRI: Development of Combustion Vessel for the Study of Gas and Dispersed Liquid Phase at Elevated Pressure and Temperature This Major Research Instrumentation grant is for the construction of a pressure vessel with optical access and the primary subsystems and instrumentation as an integrated instrument. The vessel will be capable of withstanding the pressures and temperatures that occur in the majority of combustion applications. The instrument will be integrated into a laboratory at Michigan Technological University and used in research, undergraduate, and graduate studies with the principle investigators and a number of collaboration partners. The instrument will enable the gathering and analysis of high-quality data for the comprehensive study of transport phenomena and thermo-chemical processes including combustion above super-critical conditions of many liquid fuels. The principle investigators plan to study a wide array of important issues including: basic research in droplets and sprays, flammability and safety, spark-ignited and diesel fuel-air mixing and combustion, and bio- and alternative fuels. The centerpiece of the instrument is a highly configurable pressure vessel with both direct line-of-sight and orthogonal optical access. In addition, the instrument includes a manifold and container for creating custom premixed gases and high pressure direct injection systems for gases and liquids. Given the configurable design, the flexible controller, and extensive number of access ports of the pressure vessel, the instrument would be setup for multiple research and instructional purposes simultaneously. Data to be measured include pressure, temperature, gaseous concentrations, and surface and radiant heat flux. Optical methods will allow characterization of droplet, spray, vaporization, and soot. Studies will isolate individual phenomena such as vaporization without combustion, and as a part of entire complex processes as is the case in transient, vaporizing, and combusting sprays. The results will be important to many energy utilization and conversion applications including, gas turbines, internal combustion engines, and gaseous and liquid fueled combustors. In addition the data generated will facilitate the development and validation of models to improve the simulation of complex combustion processes. Education and research enabled by this instrument will add an important contribution across the College and University in achieving its strategic goals. These goals include improving education and graduate research and attracting a world class set of diverse faculty, researchers, and students. In addition, it will expand the number of engineers and scientists with expertise in these areas to solve important issues that face the nation and the world, such as energy, pollution, and global warming.