Finite-Rate Chemistry Simulations of Aluminum Droplet Ignition

Aluminum combustion is a complex process involving heterogeneous and gas-phase chemical reactions, evaporation, and heat transfer. Further work is warranted because of the complex interaction of these phenomena. This study presents finite-rate chemistry simulations of aluminum droplet ignition using the adaptive mesh refinement code PeleLMeX, which incorporates detailed transport and chemistry capabilities. Simulations were conducted for varying oxidizer environments, droplet sizes, and temperatures, in order to investigate the ignition behavior and assess the impact of chemical non-equilibrium effects. Results demonstrate that small droplets exhibit stronger non-equilibrium effects, with the degree of non-equilibrium being non-linearly related to droplet temperature and ambient pressure; surface reactions and finite-rate chemistry were found to play increasingly significant roles at smaller droplet sizes and lower droplet temperatures.