Structure and Soot Properties of Nonbuoyant Ethylene/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames

Published

August 1, 1998

Author(s)

D L. Urban, Zeng-guang Yuan, Peter B. Sunderland, Gregory T. Linteris, J. E. Voss, Kenneth Lin, Z Dai, Kairan Sun

Abstract

The structure and soot properties of round, soot-emitting, nonbuoyant, laminar jet diffusion flames are described, based on long-duration (175-230-s) experiments at microgravity carried out on orbit in the Space Shuttle Columbia. Experimental conditions included ethylene-fueled flames burning in still air at nominal pressures of 50 and 100 kPa and an ambient temperature of 300 K with luminous flame lengths of 49-64 mm. Measurements included luminous flame shapes using color video imaging, soot concentration (volume fraction) distributions using deconvoluted laser extinction imaging, soot temperature distributions using deconvoluted multiline emission imaging, gas temperature distributions at fuel-lean (plume) conditions using thermocouple probes, soot structure distributions using thermophoretic sampling and analysis by transmission electron microscopy, and flame radiation using a radiometer. The present flames were larger, and emitted soot more readily, than comparable flames observed during ground-based microgravity experiments due to closer approach to steady conditions resulting from the longer test times and the reduced gravitational disturbances of the space-based experiments.

Citation

Aiaa Journal

Volume

36

Pub Type

Journals

Download Paper

Local Download

Keywords

soot, jet flames, diffusion flames, flame structure, experiments, space shuttle, microgravity soot, jet flames, diffusion flames, flame structure, experiments, space shuttle, microgravity

Citation

Urban, D. , Yuan, Z. , Sunderland, P. , Linteris, G. , Voss, J. , Lin, K. , Dai, Z. and Sun, K. (1998), Structure and Soot Properties of Nonbuoyant Ethylene/Air Laminar Jet Diffusion Flames, Aiaa Journal, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=914403 (Accessed October 5, 2025)