Understanding and Controlling Metal Hydrocarbon Fuel Interactions for Hypersonics
Abstract
This project will use experiment and theory to study two kinds of metal hydrocarbon fuel interactions that are important for hypersonic propulsion systems. One thrust will investigate strategies for enhancing the activity, selectivity, and stability of sub nano cluster catalysts for endothermic cooling. The work will probe the effects of cluster alloying-doping and use of dipole layers to induce local electric fields. The reaction of interest will be alkane dehydrogenation, and the primary challenge is to modify the catalysts so they are stable with respect to sintering and deactivation by carbon deposition (i.e. coking) at high temperatures and reactant pressures. Experiments will be done using size and composition selected clusters on planar supports that can be modeled theoretically with high fidelity. Surface science, microreactor, and operando imaging methods will probe chemical and physical properties. A combination of density functional theory, molecular dynamics, statistical mechanics, global optimization algorithms, and models developed to treat reactivity and sintering, will be used to predict promising systems, and to interpret the experimental results. The work will investigate fundamentals, such as dynamical properties of cluster catalysts at high temperatures and reactant loadings. The second thrust will investigate the effects of metal containing impurities or additives in fuels that may play an important role in coke deposition under high temperature-pressure conditions. Experiments with pure fuels and fuels spiked with controlled metal concentrations will probe the importance and mechanisms of metal induced coking.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 14, 2022
- Source ID
- FA95501910261
Entities
People
- Scott L. Anderson
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Utah