Design of a new narrow channel apparatus that simulates low gravity conditions for producing near limit flames.

摘要

Since 1998, the National Aeronautical and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center in Cleveland, Ohio has been funding a research program called ATHINA (Analysis of Thermodiffusive and Hydrodynamic Instabilities in Near-extinction Atmospheres), for researching flame spread and flame evolution over materials in low gravity environments. Experiments have been conducted at the NASA drop towers in zero gravity and also in the 1-g Narrow Channel Apparatus (formerly the Simulated Microgravity Flame Tunnel) at Michigan State University.;The Narrow Channel Apparatus simulates a low gravity environment for testing flame spread over thin cellulose materials. Being close to six years old, the Narrow Channel Apparatus was in need of alterations for more capabilities, so a new apparatus was designed. This thesis describes the design of the new Narrow Channel Apparatus, named the MSU Flame Tunnel. The MSU Flame Tunnel will be optically accessible from four sides with four viewing windows. It will have an exhaust section which the Narrow Channel Apparatus did not have. The MSU Flame tunnel is also longer and wider than the Narrow Channel Apparatus, so it can test bigger fuel samples.