Investigation on the Influence of Particle Size and Concentration on the Spray and Combustion Characteristics of Aluminium Particle Containing Gels with an Impinging Jet Injector

Abstract

The performance characteristics of various aluminized gelled fuels were determined in a detailed investigation concerning their rheological, spray and combustion properties. The viscosity properties were obtained for gels with different grades of Al particles with Sauter diameters in the range between 0.76 µm and 190 µm. For the determination of the atomization characteristics with a doublet like-on-like impinging jet injector setup 4 particle grades were selected. The results show that the curves for the Sauter diameters of the droplets in dependence of the jet velocity are in a similar range, whereas the measured diameters decrease with increasing gel jet velocity. The combustion characteristics of a selected gel in a combustion chamber under ramjet relevant conditions at 6 and 11 bar were obtained. They show higher efficiencies at the higher combustor pressure level and in general increasing efficiencies with increasing jet exit velocities.