NSF Young Investigator

这个项目将有两个主要的推动力。首先，将研究烟气中富勒烯形成的化学机制，最终目标是开发一种优化的廉价富勒烯生产途径。作为这项活动的一部分，将在以前的热力学研究提供的指导下，对富勒烯形成的重要变量进行彻底的参数空间搜索。由于这些研究表明，超过现有绝热火焰温度的温度可能有利于富勒烯的生产，因此将进行以微波或射频辐射的形式将额外的能量耦合到火焰中的实验。作为这项研究的一部分，将对富勒烯生产的各种可能机制进行建模，并根据研究实验部分获得的数据进行测试。其次，研究利用红外激光系统对危险废物焚烧炉的效率进行连续监测。氯化烃焚烧的化学动力学模型研究已经确定了燃烧中间体，激光应调谐其红外传输；将进行实验来验证这种开发有效连续监测系统的方法。这两个研究项目都有重要的潜在应用。在第一种情况下，开发相对廉价的富勒烯生产手段对进一步开发这些材料的潜在用途很重要。在第二种情况下，目前焚烧技术的一个缺陷往往会阻碍这种方法的使用，即缺乏在线实时过程监视器，该监视器可以纳入控制器方案，以尽量减少或消除由于各种原因导致的焚烧炉运行瞬态中有毒物质的逸出。

There will be two major thrusts to this program. First, the chemical mechanisms of fullerene formation in a sooting flame will be investigated, with an end-goal of developing an optimized inexpensive path to fullerene production. As part of this activity, a thorough parameter-space search of the variables important to fullerene formation will be carried out, with guidance being provided by previous thermodynamic studies. Inasmuch as these studies have indicated that temperatures in excess of available adiabatic flame temperatures may be advantageous to fullerene production, experiments in which additional energy is coupled into the flames in the form of microwave or radio-frequency radiation will be carried out. As part of this study, various possible mechanisms for fullerene production will be modelled and tested against data obtained in the experimental part of the study. Secondly, the use of an infrared laser system to continuously monitor efficiency of hazardous waste incinerators will be studied. Chemical kinetic modeling studies of incineration of chlorinated hydrocarbons have identified intermediates of combustion on whose infrared transmissions the lasers should be tuned; experiments to verify this approach to development of an effective continuous monitoring system will be carried out. Both research projects have important potential applications. In the first case, development of means for relatively inexpensive production of fullerenes is important to further development of potential uses for these materials. In the second case, a current deficiency in incineration technology tending to block use of such methods is lack of an on-line real-time process monitor which can be incorporated in a controller scheme to minimize or eliminate escape of toxic materials during incinerator operation transients resulting from various causes.