Spectroscopic Measurements of Aluminum Doped Nitromethane Droplet Sprays

This paper examines the result of doping liquid nitromethane with reactive metal particles, a proposed method of increasing the energy density of a liquid fuel and its energetic impact when contained in a detonation or explosion. A detonation wave requires a rapid heat release rate from the fuels to sustain it, meaning that the study of heat and energy release from new fuels is of particular interest to those developing these fuels. Using a detonation tube at the University of Central Florida, sprays of nitromethane doped with micron-sized aluminum particles were injected into the path of a detonation wave induced by a tailored mixture of gases. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the burning of the fuel spray and characterize its behavior under the high temperatures and pressures created behind the detonation wave, including ignition delay time, burning time, and species decomposition. The spray was studied in this regime with a spectrometer and high-speed camera, and will be compared to results from undoped nitromethane, as well as aluminum particles on their own to quantify the effect of reactive particle doping for a traditional fuel.