RTR Studies of Closed Combustion of Liquid Metal Fuels

Abstract

The use of liquid metal combustion as a Rankine cycle heat source in stored chemical energy propulsion systems for undersea vehicles has fostered interest in the fundamental processes occurring during such combustion. This paper reports an investigation into the use of high energy, real-time radiography to provide X ray images of the confined combustion of an oxidant injected and submerged in a fuel bath. Studies of the combustion processes and fluid dynamics of the jet driven circulating flow in the fuel bath are described. Results of tests using cylindrical combustors which have single, horizontal oxidizer jets at their centerlines are presented. Selected radiographic images showing some of the large scale, low frequency turbulence, dense product behavior and reaction zone growth which occurs during such closed combustion processes are presented and discussed. Keywords: Rankine cycle, Liquids metal combustion, Cylindrical combustors, Fuel bath.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1988
Accession Number
ADA191590

Entities

People

  • D. G. Edmunds
  • D. J. Rogerson
  • L. A. Parnell

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chambers
  • Combustion
  • Combustion Chambers
  • Combustors
  • Energy
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Frequency
  • Heat Energy
  • High Energy
  • Images
  • Liquid Metals
  • Metals
  • Propulsion Systems
  • Test Facilities
  • Turbulent Mixing
  • Video
  • X Rays

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Electrical Engineering
  • Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Dynamics.
  • Rocket Propulsion.