Abstract

Characterizing temperature fields and species evolution inside explosive fireballs is crucial for providing constraints for model refinement and extending the current understanding of detonation afterburn chemistry. Nitromethane is of interest due to its wide variety of automotive, industrial, and military applications, including as a propellant for rockets. This effort looked to provide accurate characterization of temperature and species evolution inside of a fireball using laser absorption spectroscopy techniques. Recent advances in laser absorption spectroscopy are leveraged to make MHz-rate measurements of temperature and species concentration following the detonation of nitromethane in a controlled environment. A Fixed-Wavelength Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectrometer (FW-TDLAS) was developed and characterized before being interfaced with the AFRL's detonation afterburn test facility. Laser diagnostics offer many advantages over traditional measurements techniques such as being non-intrusive and allowing for time-resolved measurements of temperature and multiple species. H2O was targeted at two wavelengths in the mid-infrared to quantify the localized temporal evolution of species and temperature inside the fireball and afterburn of nitromethane. Additional diagnostics were added to allow for CO species evolution to be targeted and resolved as well.

Notes

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Graduation Date

2023

Semester

Summer

Advisor

Vasu Sumathi, Subith

Degree

Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering (M.S.A.E.)

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Degree Program

Aerospace Engineering; Thermofluid Aerodynamic Systems

Identifier

CFE0009742; DP0027850

URL

https://purls.library.ucf.edu/go/DP0027850

Language

English

Release Date

August 2026

Length of Campus-only Access

3 years

Access Status

Masters Thesis (Campus-only Access)

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