Microgravity Combustion : Fire in Free Fall

by Ross, Howard D.

• ISBN13: 9780125981903
• ISBN10: 0125981902
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-08-01
• Publisher: Academic Pr

Summary

This book provides an introduction to understanding combustion, the burning of a substance that produces heat and often light, in microgravity environments-i.e., environments with very low gravity such as outer space. Readers are presented with a compilation of worldwide findings from fifteen years of research and experimental tests in various low-gravity environments, including drop towers, aircraft, and space. Microgravity Combustion is unique in that no other book reviews low- gravity combustion research in such a comprehensive manner. It provides an excellent introduction for those researching in the fields of combustion, aerospace, and fluid and thermal sciences. * An introduction to the progress made in understanding combustion in a microgravity environment * Experimental, theoretical and computational findings of current combustion research * Tutorial concepts, such as scaling analysis * Worldwide microgravity research findings

Table of Contents

Contributors	vii
Preface	ix
Basics of Microgravity Combustion	1	(34)
H. D. Ross
Motivation	3	(2)
Fundamentals of the influence of gravity on flames	5	(3)
Experimental methods to minimize the influence of buoyancy	8	(3)
Achieving microgravity	11	(16)
The candle flame as an example of gravitational influences on combustion	27	(6)
Concluding remarks	33	(2)
Premixed-gas Flames	35	(48)
P. D. Ronney
Introduction	37	(1)
Comparison of time scales	37	(3)
Flammability limits	40	(8)
Flame instabilities	48	(5)
Stretched and curved flames	53	(14)
'Cool flames'	67	(3)
Turbulent flames	70	(1)
Recommendations for future studies	71	(5)
Conclusions	76	(7)
Laminar and Turbulent Gaseous Diffusion Flames	83	(100)
G. M. Faeth
Introduction	85	(2)
Intrusion of gravity	87	(8)
Laminar flames	95	(54)
Turbulent flames	149	(34)
Microgravity Droplet Combustion	183	(116)
M. Y. Choi
F. L. Dryer
Introduction	183	(4)
Classical theory of droplet combustion	187	(7)
Role of spherical symmetry in droplet combustion theory and experiments	194	(3)
Advances in theoretical description of droplet combustion	197	(11)
Experimental methods	208	(16)
Pure fuel droplet combustion: n-heptane	224	(26)
Methanol droplet combustion	250	(16)
Multicomponent droplet combustion	266	(13)
Extensions of isolated droplet combustion	279	(10)
Concluding remarks	289	(10)
Mechanisms of Flame Spread and Smolder Wave Propagation	299	(120)
J. S. Tien
H.-Y. Shih
C.-B. Jiang
H. D. Ross
F. J. Miller
A. Carlos Fernandez-Pello
J. L. Torero
D. Walther
Flame spread over solid surfaces	305	(40)
Flame spread across liquid pools	345	(22)
An overview of microgravity smoldering	367	(52)
Metal Particle Combustion and Classification	419	(60)
R. A. Yetter
F. L. Dryer
Introduction	419	(4)
Metal combustion classification	423	(21)
Metal particle combustion regimes	444	(18)
Microgravity metal combustion research	462	(11)
Summary and future recommendations	473	(6)
Microgravity Combustion for Materials Synthesis	479	(46)
R. L. Axelbaum
J. J. Moore
Introduction	479	(2)
Condensed-phase combustion synthesis (CCS and SHS)	481	(23)
Gas-phase combustion synthesis	504	(15)
Concluding remarks	519	(6)
Combustion Technology and Fire Safety for Human-crew Space Missions	525	(32)
R. Friedman
H. D. Ross
Introduction	525	(2)
Fire prevention in spacecraft	527	(6)
Fires and flame spread in low gravity	533	(7)
Fire detection	540	(8)
Fire Control and suppression	548	(5)
Combustion and fire in Martian and lunar missions	553	(4)
Concluding remarks	557	(6)
Index	563