Wick-Type Liquid-Metal Combustion
Abstract
An investigation was conducted to study wick combustion of Li and SF6. A single-line laser induced fluorescence thermometry with Li2 as fluorescence species was developed. Wick combustion of Li and SF6 was conducted in vacuum chamber at sub-atmospheric pressures. The combustion results in a bright pinkish flame. Emission spectra shoe that the flame luminosity is dominated by the resonance-emission line of Li atoms. On analysis, a conserved scalar approach was employed to model the wick flame. A single equation was obtained to describe the interface condition of wick combustion. Numerical solutions were obtained for laminar wick diffusion flames. The prediction yields similarity profiles for planar Li-SF6 wick diffusion flames, but similarity solutions are not obtained for cylindrical wick diffusion flames. Cylindrical wick diffusion flames are found to deviate substantially from the planar geometry. The effects on mass burning rates due to fuel composition variations were studied employing fuel-rich and product-rich liquids at 0.0035 MPa in the analysis. Product-rich fuel yielded a much lower flame temperature; the mass burning rate, however, was higher than the pure lithium at 0.01 MPa. Results suggest that wick configuration may achieve a higher fuel utilization than the submerged jet.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- May 01, 1991
- Accession Number
- ADA236204
Entities
People
- H. Y. Lyu
- K. Y. Hsu
- L.-d. Chen
Organizations
- University of Iowa