ORCID

0009-0007-9253-1288

Keywords

Sustainable Fuel, Soot, Supersonic, Commercial Transport, Laser Absorption Spectroscopy, Shock Tube

Abstract

Sustainable Aviation fuels (SAFs) have been launched to the forefront of the aviation industry as the desire to push the boundaries of flight continues to grow. The Concorde, a symbol of cutting-edge aerospace technology, was decommissioned due to its extreme inefficiency, as it formed high levels of soot, carbon monoxide (CO), and ethylene (C₂H₄), among other emissions. The UCF shock tube experiments aim to investigate the variation between sustainable aviation fuel and traditional commercial jet fuel under supersonic conditions similar to those seen on the Concorde. The test mixtures were formulated using Jet-A, Gevo’s Alcohol-to-Jet sustainable fuel, a 50/50 blend of the two, combined with ethylene and air. These mixtures were prepared at a rich equivalence ratio of 10 and a carbon content of 2.5% to ensure consistency throughout this campaign. The experiments were executed at temperatures ranging from 1700 to 2050 K and a pressure of 12 bar, mimicking operating conditions of supersonic flight. Advanced laser diagnostic techniques were employed to measure the formation of soot and carbon monoxide along with the ethylene specific wavenumbers. These techniques allowed for ultra-fast measurement of the fuel decomposition tendencies under high temperature and pressure, helping to identify the relationship between fuel composition and emission characteristics. Temperature and pressure values were calculated using one-dimensional shock relations, providing experimental conditions for each test run. By varying the temperature along the experimental range, a correlation between temperature and soot volume was created; this allows for the identification of key trends of how the different fuels, along with temperature variation, affects soot production. The data obtained on CO and C₂H₄ formation will contribute to refining the HyChem model, which will improve predictive capabilities in models for use in future industry applications.

Completion Date

2024

Semester

Fall

Committee Chair

Vasu, Subith

Degree

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

College

College of Engineering and Computer Science

Department

Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Format

PDF

Identifier

DP0029704

Document Type

Thesis

Campus Location

Orlando (Main) Campus

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