Experiments concerning the mechanism of flame blowoff from bluff bodies

The general problem of flame stabilization on bluff objects centers about the determination of the maximum stream velocity at which stable combustion may be achieved for various flame holder geometries, gas mixtures and conditions of the approaching combustible stream. Since the process involves both gas dynamic problems and chemical kinetic problems of great complexity, the most reasonable approach is one of similarity, that is, to determine under what conditions the behavior of one flame holder is similar to the behavior of another one. Because a very large number of physical and chemical variables is involved in a combustion problem, similarity conditions can be formulated most easily after experimental investigations have indicated which parameters or groups exert little influence on the mechanism and hence may be neglected. The experiments described in this paper were conducted with the object of clarifying the role of the more important parameters in the flame holding mechanism. The results indicate that a relatively simple formulation of the similarity conditions may be obtained in which the fluid mechanical parameters and chemical parameters are effectively separated

Behavior of Spherical Particles at Low Reynolds Numbers in a Fluctuating Translational Flow. Preliminary Experiments

The behavior of small spheres in non-steady translational flow has been studied experimentally' for values of Reynolds nunber from 0 to 3000. The aim of the work was to improve our quantitative understanding of particle transport in turbulent gaseous media, a process of extreme importance in powerplants and energy transfer mechanisms. Particles, subjected to strong sinusoidal oscillations parallel to the direction of steady translation, were found to have changes in average drag coefficient depending upon their translational Reynolds number, the frequency and amplitude of the oscillations. When the Reynolds number based on the sphere diameter was les s than 200, the synunetric translational oscillation had negligible effect on the aver age particle dr ago For Reynolds numbers exceeding 300, the effective drag coefficient was significantly increased in a particular frequency range. For example, an increase in drag coefficient of 25 per cent was observed at a Reynolds nwnber of 3000 when the amplitude of the oscillation was 2 per cent of the sphere diazneter and the disturbance frequency was approximately the Strouhal frequency. The occurrence of the maximum effect at frequencies between one and two times the Stroubal frequency strongly suggests non-linear interaction between wake vortex shedding and the oscillation in translational motions. Flow visualization studies support this suggestion

Recombination, ionization, and nonequilibrium electrical conductivity in seeded plasmas

New data are presented which provide direct experimental confirmation of the validity of a physical model which has been widely employed to predict the electrical conductivity of dense, two-temperature, seeded plasmas. Experimental measurements of electron temperature, and ionization and recombination rates are presented for partially ionized plasmas of potassium-seeded argon. Experimental conditions were chosen to cover those ranges of interest in connection with proposed magnetohydrodynamic energy conversion devices for which nonequilibrium electrical conductivity measurements have been previously reported, e.g., translational atom temperatures of about 2000°K, total atom densities near 10^(18)/cm^3, potassium densities of about 10^(16)/cm^3, electron densities from 10^(13)/cm^3 to 10^(15)/cm^3, and electron temperatures from 2200 to 3500°K. Measured values of electron-electron-ion recombination coefficients for potassium show good agreement with theoretical values based upon the Gryzinski classical inelastic-collision cross-section expressions. Observed ionization rates and relaxation characteristics appear to be adequately explained by a similar formulation for the ionization process

Large amplitude electrothermal waves in a nonequilibrium plasma

Steady, one-dimensional current streamers have been observed in nonequilibrium plasma subjected to crossed E and B fields. Their half-width and amplitude agree with a nonlinear model of electrothermal waves

Secondary Injection of Gases into a Supersonic Flow

The flow field around the injection port for secondary injection of a gas normal to a supersonic stream has been studied in a series of wind-tunnel experiments. The experiments were conducted at freestream Mach numbers of 1.38 to 4.54. Gaseous nitrogen, argon, and helium were used as injectants. New information concerning pressure fields, concentration fields, and shock shapes was obtained. A scale parameter has been calculated, based on a simple, inviscid model of the flow field. This scale parameter gives a good general correlation of the data. Use of this scale parameter allows prediction of a simple scaling law for the side forces generated by secondary injection. This side-force scaling law is in approximate agreement with existing rocket motor test results

Nonequilibrium electrical conductivity measurements in argon and helium seeded plasmas

In a previous paper, the authors presented experimental values of electrical conductivity measured in a plasma composed of argon gas seeded with potassium vapor. The measurements were made at atmospheric pressure with a neutral gas temperature of 2000° ± 100°K and with a number of values of seed concentration in the range 0.2 to 0.8 mole %. The effect of nonequilibrium heating of the electron gas-excited potassium system was investigated for a range of current densities between 0.8 and 80 amp/cm^2. These data were in good agreement with values of the conductivity calculated by a scheme, outlined in Ref. 1, which included the effects of energy loss from the system, composed of the electron gas and the electronically excited states of potassium due to radiation from the excited potassium atoms. In addition, the pulsed technique used to measure the conductivity in response to a step function application of the electric field made possible the determination of the relaxation times for the ionization process

An analytical and computational investigation of shock-induced vortical flows

Interaction of a shock wave with a jet of light gas surrounded by an ambient heavy gas generates vorticity around the perimeter of the jet. This rolls the jet into a pair of counterrotating, finite-core size vortices. The canonical problem is the two-dimensional, unsteady interaction in a finite channel. The dynamics of the vortex pair are controlled by the incident shock strength, the light/heavy gas density ratio, and the channel spacing. Analytical expressions are derived which describe the strength and motion of the vortex pair as a function of these parameters. Numerical simulations shQw good agreement with these models. Various perturbations on the single jet flow are investigated with the goal of destabilizing the vortex pair and further enhancing the mixing. Single jet shape perturbations are relatively ineffective. However, an array of jets can dramatically increase the mixing. Another effective method is to form a reflected shock. Finally, an analogy to the corresponding three-dimensional, steady flows is demonstrated both qualitatively and quantitatively. This allows an understanding of the dynamics and mixing of the two imensional, unsteady flows to be directly applied to three-dimensional, steady flows typical of SCRAMJET designs

Analytical and experimental studies of thermionically emitting electrodes in contact with dense, seeded plasmas

Interactions are considered between a moving, alkali-metal seeded, dense plasma and a metallic electrode whose surface properties are influenced by the absorption of seed particles. The plasma behavior is governed by a set of differential equations, which are coupled to the surface through the boundary conditions. These conditions are obtained by utilizing the particle desorption rate expressions of Levine and Gyftopoulos. The solution of the problem yields the state of the surface as well as the spatial distribution of plasma properties. In particular, electrode voltage drops are predicted, which indicate whether the electrode operates in a thermionic or arc mode. The method has been applied to a potassiwn-seeded argon plasma in contact with a tungsten electrode in a stagnation flow geometry. The results show that the plasma - surface interaction may lead to large electrode currents at moderate voltage drops. These currents can be up to an order of magnitude greater than what the random electron current would be at the surface under conditions of perfect thermodynamic equilibrium at the surface temperature. R.esults of a comparable experiment show reasonably good agreement with the theory