| PROPOSAL NUMBER: | B1.01-9356 (For NASA Use Only - Chron: 012643 ) |
| PROPOSAL TITLE: | A Comprehensive Prediction and Control System for Combustion Processes |
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
The prediction, identification and notification of spacecraft fires is critical in assuring the safety of manned space missions. Absent the effects of buoyancy in space, the chemical and fluid dynamic phenomena that govern the ignition, spread and extinction of fires are far different than those on Earth. Our understanding and predictive capabilities depend on detailed models that must be versatile, accurate and verifiable. In this work, we propose the development of a new, powerful computational technique that, when used in conjunction with as few as one quantitative species measurement, will predict all species concentrations and temperature in any diffusion flame, with possible extension to burning droplets and smoldering surfaces. This new innovation is named Iterative Temperature with Assumed Chemistry (ITAC). We believe that the diagnostic of choice in verification and use of this model is diode laser absorption. Not only can these lasers quantitatively measure virtually all major flame species and intermediates, but their minimal weight, size and power requirements make them suitable for in situ spacecraft fire sensors as well.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The commercial potential for this approach extends beyond spacecraft fire safety. The efficiency and level of toxic emissions of airborne propulsion systems, automobiles, incinerators, and industrial burners for the generation of electrical power are highly dependent on the particular methods used for introduction of fuels, the types of fuels used and the burner configurations (e.g., staging, emission controls, etc.) employed. Feedback control systems are now widely used to minimize pollution and maximize efficiency. The ITAC method, in conjunction with quantitative diode laser-based absorption measurements, may provide a cheaper and simpler, but more powerful, method for these industrial burners to meet or exceed their specifications.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
(Name, Organization Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Joel Silver
Southwest Sciences, Inc.
1570 Pacheco St., Suite E-11
Santa Fe , NM 87505 - 3993
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR
(Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Southwest Sciences, Inc.
1570 Pacheco St., Suite E-11
Santa Fe , NM 87505 - 3993