NITROMETHANE AFTERBURN TEMPERATURE AND SPECIES CHARACTERIZATION VIA MID-INFRARED LASER ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY

Abstract

The objective of this seedling grant effort is to study nitromethane detonation afterburn by simultaneously measuring temperature and species concentrations using a mid-infrared (MIR) laser absorption diagnostic system. The team plans to leverage recent investments from multiple agencies in the diagnostics, and as part of this activity, we will tailor the diagnostics for AFRL’s detonation afterburn test facility. The planned project will build upon our recent work at AFRL Eglin, FL by the PI to gather time-resolved information from detonation events. The immediate payoff of this research effort is expected to be quantification of localized temporal evolution of temperature and species inside a nitromethane blast/fireball and afterburn. The target species, laser operation parameters, and system interfacing will be determined based on the specific measurement targets and experimental conditions. The optical diagnostic system will first be validated via UCF’s shock tube experiments for optimization and determination of operating limits before being implemented in the field to study nitromethane detonation afterburn. The data obtained will be immediately used to validate computational fluid dynamic (CFD) codes used for ongoing joint experimental and computational AFOSR-funded effort by AFRL collaborators. In the future, the proposed diagnostic system may be further developed to extend the range of simultaneously measured species, enable measurement at multiple axial locations in the experimental facility, and extend the range of explosives studied.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Aug 12, 2021
Source ID
FA95502010268

Entities

People

  • Subith Vasu Sumathi

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • United States Air Force
  • University of Central Florida Board of Trustees

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Optical Physics and Photonics.
  • Research Science/Academic Research
  • Rocket Propulsion.

Technology Areas

  • Directed Energy