Acquisition of Ultraviolet Laser Diagnostic System and Ignition Quality Tester for Ignition Characterization in Defense Relevant Fuels
Abstract
We propose to acquire two pieces of equipment to enhance the ignition characterization capabilities at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), specifically relevant to defense related fuels. This equipment will enable us to characterize these fuels comprehensively on different scales, ranging from fundamental chemical reactions such as abstraction reactions, through groups of chemical reactions such as those involved pyrolysis and oxidation, all the way up to how the fuel itself will react as reflected in more global, industry standard performance metrics, such as the derived cetane number or homogeneous ignition delay time. First, we propose the acquisition of an ultraviolet laser diagnostic system to permit the real-time measurement of radical species such as the hydroxyl radical and oxygenated species, leading up to combustion in UIC shock tubes. This real-time analysis complements the strengths of the shock tubes at UIC, which include precise detailed chemical analysis of the products of reaction. Therefore, the combined techniques provide precise constraints for the construction of predictive chemical mechanisms suitable for ignition studies in complex fuels and blends and in extreme conditions. Second, we propose to acquire an ignition quality tester, a research grade device that measures the cetane number of fuels and can also be used to test the chemical time scales of ignition of various fuels. This type of analysis will complement and extend the capabilities for ignition delay studies in UIC shock tubes and the rapid compression machine (RCM) under construction and will provide a strong platform for the validation of chemical mechanisms, both by UIC personnel and by collaborators. The two pieces of equipment complement and enhance the diagnostic capabilities at UIC crucial for ongoing projects with the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and with the Army Research Office, on jet fuels and low cetane number fuels, respectively. The equipment also supports Army Research Laboratory programs on indigenous fuels. Students educated and trained on the instrumentation will enhance programs critical to the DoD mission and the research capabilities of UIC as a Hispanic Serving Institution, and will increase the number of engineering graduates.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Sep 04, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1910501
Entities
People
- Kenneth Brezinsky
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- Office of the Secretary of Defense
- University of Illinois at Chicago