Nanocluster and their Mesoparticle Composites as Additives for Solid-Fuel Air-Breathing Propulsion
Abstract
Air-Breathing combustion either subsonic or supersonic has received renewed interest but is still challenged by some fundamental limitations. In the case of super-to-hypersonic combustion, oxidizer starvation is a major consideration. As a result, solid-fuel ram/scramjets are plagued with a very narrow operating envelope and unstable combustion properties. This arises due to poor flame holding characteristics, high ignition temperature, short residence times of particles, and mass transfer limitation of the oxidizer. Most efforts to mitigate these constraints focus on fluid dynamic effects.In this proposal we will consider alternative chemical approaches and fabrication methods to enable a new class of propellent which may offer wider operational windows and more efficient combustion. We will utilize nanomaterials as fuel constituents and develop assembly methods toallow bulk scale fabrication. We will test these new materials and develop optimized formulation and we will apply advanced diagnostics to interrogate these processes from a fundamental point of view so that eth knowledge bases gained will be of utility to further research by others.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jan 06, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112038
Entities
People
- Michael R. Zachariah
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of California Regents