Combustion Lab: Facilities

Rapid Compression Testing Facility

Our rapid compression testing facility provides the tools to test Homogeneous Charge Compression Ignition (HCCI). We also have a Ring-Dye system in order to study combustion products and species.

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Hanken Burner and Particle Feed System
for Combustion Synthesis Studies

A multi-element diffusion flame burner (top left) provides high temperature environment for synthesis of metal-doped tin dioxide nanocomposite powders. Mixed phase precursors are providing using a bubbler system and a solid-phase particle feed system, PFS, (shown above).

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Combustion in Microgravity

The team conducted experiments on the KC-135 (the "vomit-comet") at microgravity to study magnesium combustion in carbon dioxide with iodine catalyst. Preliminary testing and design conducting in the lab using a combustion chamber (left) and high speed imagining (above).

Optical Engine Facility

The optical engine facility is currently in developement. Laser diagnostics can be employed for in-situ measurements via a quartz cylinder liner and window through the top of the piston. This rig will be used for instantaneous, time-resolved absorption spectroscopy for quantitative in-cylinder interrogation of H2O and temperature.

Stagnation Flow Reactor

The stagnation flow reactor is used to study both catalytic fuel oxidation and the catalytic influence on premixed flames. The catalyst is mounted on the stagnation plane in the reactor, and its temperature is controlled.

Catalytic oxidation over a range of catalyst temperatures, the catalytic influence on the flame structures in the reactor, and the catalytic influence on the lean-extinction limit of the flames were studied recently. The image below shows the different flame structures that can be stabilized in the apparatus over a range of equivalence ratio and two different impinging velocities.

Future research will include studies of novel catalyst materials for various applications such as lean NOx removal, renewable energy production via biomass reforming into ethanol, heterogeneous chemical mechanism development, and new combustion techniques such as low temperature combustion stabilized by a catalyst.