100 Hour Test of the Pressurized Woodchip-Fired Gravel Bed Combustor

Combustion of wood chips in a packed bed combustor for a gas turbine cogeneration system is described. A discussion on flue gas emissions and mass balances is included

A study of heterogeneous detonations.

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77206/1/AIAA-1966-109-934.pd

Piezoelectric Pressure Transducer with Acoustic Absorbing Rod

A piezoelectric pressure transducer has been designed, using readily available, inexpensive materials, which is capable of measuring sidewall pressures over a wide frequency range without serious distortion of the signal due to spurious elastic waves in the sensing element. The rise time is limited primarily by the transit time across the surface of the sensing element. The response of the gauge to a Mach 3.2 shock, gaseous detonations at pressure levels of 11 and 34 atm, respectively, is presented.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/70546/2/RSINAK-38-6-740-1.pd

Observed Structure of Spray Detonations

The propagation of a detonation wave in a tube containing a single stream of 2600‐μ‐diam diethylcyclohexane droplets dispersed in gaseous oxygen has been studied with streak and space resolved photography, special pressure transducers, and thin‐film heat‐transfer gauges. The detonation wave, which reached a velocity of 4100 ft/sec, consisted of a planar shock front followed by secondary shocks and a gradual decrease in pressure as heat is added. A detailed history of an individual drop within the reaction zone is presented. Under the observed conditions a 2600‐μ‐drop disintegrates continuously over a period of 500 μsec. Combustion is initiated in the wake of the drops at 65 μsec after the passage of the shock with the reaction zone considered completed in 670 μsec. One‐dimensional equations for a two‐phase Chapman‐Jouguet detonation wave with mass and heat addition within the reaction zone, and momentum and heat transfer out of the reaction zone are derived. Comparison of the experiments with the theoretical prediction yields a reasonable agreement.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/71352/2/PFLDAS-11-11-2377-1.pd

The Inorganic Chemistry of Wood Combustion for Power Production

Equilibrium calculations were performed to determine the inorganic chemistry involved in the combustion of aspen woodchips with a large excess of oxygen at pressures of 1, 4 and 10 atm. At 1 atm, a potassium-sulfate-rich liquid forms at high temperatures (1050°C) and persists to a temperature of between 975 and 1000°C, where it crystallizes to form solid alkali sulfates. At 4 and 10 atm the liquid crystallizes above 1000°C. The formation of sulfate is limited by the low abundance of sulfur, which is greatly depleted at 1000°C. A large fraction of the alkali remains in the vapor as the KOH molecule at this temperature. Both KOH and CaO react with CO2 in the vapor to form the solid carbonates K2Ca2(CO3)3 and CaCO3 below 800° at 1 atm. At 4 atm, a potentially corrosive molten carbonate forms at temperatures in the range of 800–875°C. Below 800°C all the carbonate crystallizes to CaCO3 and K2Ca2(CO3)3. Upon cooling at 10 atm, the liquid forms somewhat above 900°C and crystallizes somewhat above 800°C to form these solid carbonates. These considerations are applied to a gravel-bed combustor/gas turbine system and methods for improving its operation by temperature control and hot gas cleanup are reported. An economic analysis and future prospects in the United States are discussed to provide a context for this work

Detonations in two phase detonations and drop shattering studies : fourth annual progress report (February 1, 1967 to January 31, 1968)

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/4466/5/bad5796.0001.001.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/4466/4/bad5796.0001.001.tx

Two phase detonations and drop shattering studies : second annual progress report (February 1, 1965 to January 31, 1966)

http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/4471/5/bab9020.0001.001.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/4471/4/bab9020.0001.001.tx