Announcing the Final Examination of Jacklyn Higgs for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) is a common solid rocket fuel that is used in solid-fueled ramjets (SFRJs) for hypersonic propulsion. Renewed interest in hypersonic systems has developed a need to simulate HTPB combustion using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). However, the current chemical kinetic mechanisms lack the experimental data necessary to accurately simulate SFRJ conditions. Shock tube experiments at the University of Central Florida (UCF) were carried out to study the interaction of HTPB pyrolysis products (ethylene, propene, 1,3-butadiene, benzene, and toluene) with air. Experiments were conducted at 5 ± 0.5 atm and 1100 - 1800 K. Mixtures ranged from fuel lean to fuel rich (? = 0.5, 1.0, 4.0, 4.76) and contained individual fuel components or a fuel blend of the HTPB pyrolysis products. Species time-history of carbon monoxide (CO) and time-resolved temperature were measured with a quantum cascade laser (QCL) in the mid-infrared (MIR) region and compared against chemical kinetics models: AramcoMech3.0, HyChem, and NUIG 1.3. Additional OH* measurements were taken with an emission detector to capture ignition delay time (IDT). The data is used to develop an improved chemical kinetic mechanism for simulating HTPB combustion in air at SFRJ conditions.
Committee in Charge:
Subith Vasu, Chair, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Alain Kassab, University of Central Florida
Michael Kinzel, University of Central Florida
Eric Ching, Naval Research Laboratory
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