Apparatus for Detecting Interior Ballistic Combustion Products.

摘要

A molecular beam sampling system has been developed for the purpose of studying transient chemical species produced in the interior ballistic combustion process. The system consists of four differentially pumped vacuum stages with a time-of-flight mass spectrometer used as a detector. Maximum flexibility was considered in the design, especially with respect to the reactor operating pressure. It is believed the reactions can be studied in the pressure range of a few torr up to 5000 psi. A number of factors that went into the design will be discussed such as pumping capacity requirements, boundary layer problems, minimum reaction time calculations, minimum sensitivity, mass separation problem, mass cracking pattern for radicals and excited species, non vibrational equilibrium problems, formation of initial jet, Reynolds number consideration, choice of skimmer cone angle, mass clustering problem, background penetration, beam quality analysis with such techniques as velocity profile, avoidance of shock formation at various stages, and finally the choice of a well known chemical system on which to test the apparatus. Some initial studies will involve the decomposition flames of ethyl nitrate and n-propylnitrate. (Author)