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Full-Text Articles in Propulsion and Power

Effects Of Hydrogen Enrichment And Premixing On Flame Stability In A High-Pressure Axial-Stage Combustor, Alexandre Fernandes C. Santiago Filho Jan 2026

Effects Of Hydrogen Enrichment And Premixing On Flame Stability In A High-Pressure Axial-Stage Combustor, Alexandre Fernandes C. Santiago Filho

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The addition of hydrogen to conventional fuels enhances reactivity and can increase the risk of flashback in premixed gas turbine combustors. This study investigates the effects of premixing length and hydrogen concentration on flame stability in a high-pressure axial-stage combustor. Experiments were conducted at the UCF Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory using a two-stage configuration, where the primary stage provided a high-temperature vitiated crossflow using a hydrogen-piloted, premixed methane–air mixture, and hydrogen-enriched methane–air mixtures were injected through a concentric fuel-tube injector in the axial stage. Premixing length was varied for pure hydrogen flames, and hydrogen concentration was varied at a …


Methods Of Variability Reduction In Ramjet Fuel Injection Using Fluid-Structure Interactions, Egan J. Rigney Jan 2025

Methods Of Variability Reduction In Ramjet Fuel Injection Using Fluid-Structure Interactions, Egan J. Rigney

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The Liquid Jet in Crossflow (LJIC) method of fuel injection in ramjet engines is widely used and well-studied. However, they experience variation in their behavior at different altitudes and flight speeds due to the varied flow conditions following the inlet. This variation becomes more noticeable at high-temperature and high-speed airflow conditions. The optimized and consistent breakup of liquid fuel is a key component in ramjet engine design as there is a minimum surface area requirement of the droplets for combustion to occur. Local equivalence ratios also have a significant influence on the effectiveness of combustion. As such, researchers at the …


Flame Boundary Effects Of Hydrogen-Air Premixing, Alecson L. De Lima Junior Jan 2025

Flame Boundary Effects Of Hydrogen-Air Premixing, Alecson L. De Lima Junior

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The objective of this research was to investigate the reaction of hydrogen and heated air premixing when injected into a combusting ethylene-air crossflow, and to study the flame stabilization location with varying premixing levels. The main parameter of this investigation was the flame stabilization diagnosed through chemiluminescence, based on recorded equivalence ratio, temperature, and flame boundaries, and maintaining a constant air temperature, hydrogen and air mass flow, and momentum flux ratios. Testing was conducted at different ratios of hydrogen and air premixing achieved through alternating the distance between the point where hydrogen and air are mixed and the combusting crossflow. …


Analysis Of Variations In Flow-Independent Liquid Jet-In-Crossflow Injections, Michael Scott Jan 2024

Analysis Of Variations In Flow-Independent Liquid Jet-In-Crossflow Injections, Michael Scott

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Liquid fuel injection is a critical mechanism for the deliverance of liquid fuel in contemporary aircraft propulsion combustion systems due to its outsized influence in providing optimal combustion conditions and improving overall aircraft efficiency and performance. Despite this, these liquid jet in crossflow (LJIC) systems are highly variable due to conditions in the jet and the surrounding airflow, leading to variability in performance behavior and inconsistency in fuel mixing and combustion efficiency. This has prompted the introduction of solid pintile obstructions of novel designs to provide a more flow-independent fuel injection scheme and decrease variability of the jet properties against …


Hypersonic Scramjet Inlet Development For Variable Mach Number Flows, Zachary P. White Jan 2023

Hypersonic Scramjet Inlet Development For Variable Mach Number Flows, Zachary P. White

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Hypersonic propulsion has become an increasingly important research field over the past fifty years, and subsequent interest in propulsion systems utilizing supersonic combustion has emerged. Air-breathing engines are desirable for such applications as hypersonic flight vehicles would not need to carry an oxidizer. Therefore, hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems require an inlet with high mass capture and compressive efficiency. The present work seeks to outline the development and validation of a novel design tool for producing air inlet designs for hypersonic vehicles at variable flight conditions. A Busemann inlet was chosen for its high compressive efficiency, geometric flexibility, and existing experimental …


Analysis Of Nozzle Expansion Characteristics In Supersonic Retro-Propulsion, Gonzalo Montoya Jan 2022

Analysis Of Nozzle Expansion Characteristics In Supersonic Retro-Propulsion, Gonzalo Montoya

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Supersonic retro-propulsion (SRP) is defined as rocket propulsion used to decelerate aerospace vehicles at supersonic speed. SRP is often used as a method of high-speed deceleration on space vehicles. The main method of propulsion used in the application of SRP is rocket propulsion. Rocket engine thrust and performance changes with altitude and expansion ratio. Changing altitudes across the trajectory of a rocket affect how the exhaust plume shock waves expand. Being able to identify how different expansion ratios affect the exhaust plume flow fields would provide useful data on how SRP performance can be predicted. This research projects aims at …


Thrust Augmentation Of Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines, Alexander G. Rodriguez Jan 2022

Thrust Augmentation Of Rotating Detonation Rocket Engines, Alexander G. Rodriguez

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis aims to perform a detailed analysis on a 5th Order Polynomial Nozzle, verifying its effectiveness in improving the thrust performance of a Rotating Detonation Rocket Engine. Rotating detonation engines are a promising engine type that uses detonations as a means of combustion rather than traditional conflagration. Through this method, these engines can produce significant amounts of energy while burning less fuel in the process. However, exhaust flow instabilities and swirl limit the engine's potential for use as a means of propulsion. The 5th Order Polynomial Nozzle was previously demonstrated to reduce and control this swirl; however, analysis was …


Development Of Lifting Line Theory For The Fanwing Propulsion System, Christopher Kaminski Jan 2021

Development Of Lifting Line Theory For The Fanwing Propulsion System, Christopher Kaminski

Honors Undergraduate Theses

The FanWing propulsion system is a novel propulsion system which aerodynamically behaves as a hybrid between a helicopter and a fixed wing aircraft, and if the knowledge base with regards to this novel concept can be fully explored, there could be a new class of aircraft developed. In the current research, only 2D CFD studies have been done for the FanWing, hence the 3D lift characteristics of the FanWing have been unknown thus far, at least in the theoretical domain. Therefore, it was proposed to develop a modified Prandtl's Lifting Line Theory numerical solution and a CFD solution, comparing the …


The Exploration Of Rotating Detonation Dynamics Incorporating A Coal-Based Fuel Mixture, John P. Rogan Jan 2018

The Exploration Of Rotating Detonation Dynamics Incorporating A Coal-Based Fuel Mixture, John P. Rogan

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This investigation explores the detonation dynamics of a rotating detonation engine (RDE). Beginning with the general understanding and characteristics of hydrogen and compressed air as a detonation fuel source, this study further develops the experimental approach to incorporating a coal-based fuel mixture in an RDE. There is insufficient prior research investigating the use of coal as part of a fuel mixture and insignificant progress being made to improve thermal efficiency with deflagration. The U.S. Department of Energy's Office of Fossil Energy awarded the Propulsion and Energy Research Laboratory at the University of Central Florida a grant to lead the investigation …


Mechanisms Of Lean Flame Extinction, Ian M. Lasky Jan 2018

Mechanisms Of Lean Flame Extinction, Ian M. Lasky

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Lean flame blowout is investigated experimentally within a high-speed combustor to analyze the temporal extinction dynamics of turbulent premixed bluff body stabilized flames. The lean blowout process is induced through fuel flow reduction and captured temporally using simultaneous high-speed particle imaging velocimetry (PIV) and CH* chemiluminescence. The evolution of the flame structure, flow field, and the resulting strain rate along the flame are analyzed throughout extinction to distinguish the physical mechanisms of blowout. Flame-vortex dynamics are found to be the main driving mechanism of flame extinction; namely, a reduction of flame-generated vorticity coupled with an increase of downstream shear layer …


Optimal Sintering Temperature Of Ceria-Doped Scandia Stabilized Zirconia For Use In Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Amanda K. Assuncao Jan 2018

Optimal Sintering Temperature Of Ceria-Doped Scandia Stabilized Zirconia For Use In Solid Oxide Fuel Cells, Amanda K. Assuncao

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Carbon emissions are known to cause decay of the Ozone layer in addition to creating pollutant, poisonous air. This has become a growing concern among scientists and engineers across the globe; if this issue is not addressed, it is likely that the Earth will suffer catastrophic consequences. One of the main culprits of these harmful carbon emissions is fuel combustion. Between vehicles, power plants, airplanes, and ships, the world consumes an extraordinary amount of oil and fuel which all contributes to the emissions problem. Therefore, it is crucial to develop alternative energy sources that minimize the impact on the environment. …


Design And Investigation Of Vitiated-Air Heater For Oblique Detonation-Wave Engine, Matthew M. Hoban Jan 2016

Design And Investigation Of Vitiated-Air Heater For Oblique Detonation-Wave Engine, Matthew M. Hoban

Honors Undergraduate Theses

A facility was designed to provide high-enthalpy, hypersonic flow to a detonation chamber. Preliminary investigation identified 1300 K and Mach 5 as the total temperature and Mach number require to stabilize an oblique detonation wave inside the detonation chamber. Vitiated-air heating was the preheating method chosen to meet these capabilities. The vitiator facility heats compressed air while still retaining about 50% of the original oxygen content. Schlieren flow visualization and conventional photography was performed at the exit plane of a choke plate, which simulated the throat of a converging-diverging nozzle. A shock diamond formation was observed within the jet exhausting …


Flame-Turbulence Interaction For Deflagration To Detonation, Jessica Chambers Jan 2016

Flame-Turbulence Interaction For Deflagration To Detonation, Jessica Chambers

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Detonation is a high energetic mode of pressure gain combustion that exploits total pressure rise to augment high flow momentum and thermodynamic cycle efficiencies. Detonation is initiated through the Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition (DDT). This process occurs when a deflagrated flame is accelerated through turbulence induction, producing shock-flame interactions that generate violent explosions and a supersonic detonation wave. There is a broad desire to unravel the physical mechanisms of turbulence induced DDT. For the implementation of efficient detonation methods in propulsion and energy applications, it is crucial to understand optimum turbulence conditions for detonation initiation. The study examines the role of turbulence-flame …


Conjugate Heat Transfer Analysis Of Combined Regenerative And Discrete Film Cooling In A Rocket Nozzle, Charlotte M. Pearce Jan 2016

Conjugate Heat Transfer Analysis Of Combined Regenerative And Discrete Film Cooling In A Rocket Nozzle, Charlotte M. Pearce

Honors Undergraduate Theses

Conjugate heat transfer analysis has been carried out on an 89kN thrust chamber in order to evaluate whether combined discrete film cooling and regenerative cooling in a rocket nozzle is feasible. Several cooling configurations were tested against a baseline design of regenerative cooling only. New designs include combined cooling channels with one row of discrete film cooling holes near the throat of the nozzle, and turbulated cooling channels combined with a row of discrete film cooling holes. Blowing ratio and channel mass flow rate were both varied for each design. The effectiveness of each configuration was measured via the maximum …