Radiative Ignition of Polymeric Fuels in an Oxidizing Gas,
Abstract
The widespread use of a radiative energy source to study solid propellant ignition characteristics has generated the need for a closer examination of the processes comprising ignition by radiation. Radiative ignition of a pure fuel in an oxidizing gas is proposed as a useful simplified analog of propellant ignition. A simple approximate solution for the radiative ignition of a condensed material is derived by considering several asymptotic cases in which individual factors dominate the ignition delay. A radiative ignition apparatus employing a CO2 laser has been used to study the effects of radiant flux, pressure oxygen concentration, and absorptivity on the ignition delay of polystyrene and an epoxy polymer in oxygen/nitrogen mixtures. The results are shown to agree well with the approximate radiative ignition solution if an ignition temperature of approximately 600C is accepted. (Modified author abstract)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1969
- Accession Number
- AD0774327
Entities
People
- Martin Summerfield
- Thomas J. Ohlemiller
Organizations
- Princeton University