Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Improving the ignition and combustion of JP10/boron-based nanofluid fuel droplets by the interaction of PTFE and boron

  • Published:
Journal of Thermal Analysis and Calorimetry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

With a high demand for high-performance spacecraft, the development of new nanofluid fuels has become a major opportunity and challenge. As solid–liquid hybrid fuels, the combustion of nanofluid fuels is affected by various factors and the combustion performance needs to be improved. In this paper, the JP10/boron (B)-based nanofluid fuel droplets containing polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) with 10 mass% nB/PTFE content were prepared by a mechanical mixing method, and their combustion characteristics were investigated, especially the droplet behavior and flame characteristics. Additionally, the effects of nano-sized boron (nB) and nano-sized polytetrafluoroethylene (nPTFE) on the oxygen consumption and reaction characteristics of droplets at different combustion stages were also analyzed. The combustion process of the JP10/B-based nanofluid fuel droplets with nPTFE addition is mainly defined as four stages, namely ignition stage, mixed combustion stage, secondary combustion stage, and boron burning stage. The addition of a small amount of nPTFE to the JP10/B-based nanofluid fuel does not reduce the ignition delay time of the droplet, but the combustible gas products such as CO and CF4 generated by the reaction between nB and nPTFE in the mixed combustion stage can destroy the droplet strongly and enhance the combustion of JP10, so the combustion time of the JP10/B-based nanofluid fuel droplets with nPTFE addition in this stage is shortened by 10.1% compared with that of the JP10/B-based nanofluid fuel droplets. In addition, nPTFE destroys the boron surface oxide layer and improves the combustion efficiency of boron particles, and the maximum burning intensity of droplets can be increased by 47%. The particle size of condensate combustion products is reduced by 85% because the gases generated split the agglomerates into small fragments.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Nie J, Jia T, Pan L, Zhang X, Zou JJ. Development of high-energy-density liquid aerospace fuel: a perspective. Trans Tianjin Univ. 2022;28:1–5.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Zhao L, Chen W, Su H, Yang J, Kaiser RI. A vacuum ultraviolet photoionization study on oxidation of JP-10 (exo-Tetrahydrodicyclopentadiene). Chem Phys Lett. 2020;754: 137490.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Van Devener B, Anderson SL. Breakdown and combustion of JP-10 fuel catalyzed by nanoparticulate CeO2 and Fe2O3. Energy Fuels. 2006;20:1886–94.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Xiu-Tian-Feng E, Pan L, Wang F, Wang L, Zhang XW, Zou JJ. Al-nanoparticle-containing nanofluid fuel: synthesis, stability, properties, and propulsion performance. Ind Eng Chem Res. 2016;55(10):2738–45.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Gan Y, Lim YS, Qiao L. Combustion of nanofluid fuels with the addition of boron and iron particles at dilute and dense concentrations. Combust Flame. 2012;159:1732–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Debbarma S, Misra RD. Effects of iron nanoparticle fuel additive on the performance and exhaust emissions of a compression ignition engine fueled with diesel and biodiesel. J Therm Sci Eng Appl. 2018;10: 041002.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Venu H, Madhavan V. Effect of nano additives (titanium and zirconium oxides) and diethyl ether on biodiesel-ethanol fuelled CI engine. J Mech Sci Technol. 2016;30:2361–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Elkelawy M, Etaiw SEH, Bastawissi HA-E, Marie H, Elbanna A, Panchal H, et al. Study of diesel-biodiesel blends combustion and emission characteristics in a CI engine by adding nanoparticles of Mn (II) supramolecular complex. Atmos Pollut Res. 2020;11:117–28.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Gany A. Comprehensive consideration of boron combustion in airbreathing propulsion. 42nd AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference & Exhibit. Sacramento, California: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics; 2006 :4567.

  10. Mehta RN, Chakraborty M, Parikh PA. Nanofuels: combustion, engine performance and emissions. Fuel. 2014;120:91–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Shariatmadar FS, Pakdehi SG. Synthesis and characterization of aviation turbine kerosene nanofuel containing boron nanoparticles. Appl Therm Eng. 2017;112:1195–204.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ulas A, Kuo KK, Gotzmer C. Ignition and combustion of boron particles in fluorine-containing environments. Combust Flame. 2001;127:1935–57.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Young G, Sullivan K, Zachariah MR, Yu K. Combustion characteristics of boron nanoparticles. Combust Flame. 2009;156:322–33.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Chen B, Shan S, Liu J. Evolution of solid-liquid coupling combustion characteristics of boron suspension fuel in O2/Ar atmosphere. Combust Flame. 2022;237: 111869.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Yetter RA, Dryer FL, Rabitz H, Brown RC, Kolb CE. Effect of fluorine on the gasification rate of liquid boron oxide droplets. Combust Flame. 1998;112(3):387–403.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Brown RC, Kolb CE, Yetter RA, Dryer FL, Rabitz H. Kinetic modeling and sensitivity analysis for B/H/O/C/F combination systems. Combust Flame. 1995;101:221–38.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wang H, Rehwoldt M, Kline DJ, Wu T, Wang P, Zachariah MR. Comparison study of the ignition and combustion characteristics of directly-written Al/PVDF, Al/Viton and Al/THV composites. Combust Flame. 2019;201:181–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Connell TL, Risha GA, Yetter RA, Roberts CW, Young G. Boron and polytetrafluoroethylene as a fuel composition for hybrid rocket applications. J Propul Power. 2015;31:373–85.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Young G, Stoltz CA, Mayo DH, Roberts CW, Milby CL. Combustion behavior of solid fuels based on PTFE/Boron mixtures. Combust Sci Technol. 2013;185:1261–80.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Young G, Roberts CW, Stoltz CA. Ignition and combustion enhancement of boron with polytetrafluoroethylene. J Propul Power. 2015;31(1):386–92.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Chen W, Zhu B, Sun Y, Guo P, Liu J. Nano-sized copper oxide enhancing the combustion of aluminum/kerosene-based nanofluid fuel droplets. Combust Flame. 2022;240: 112028.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  22. Han W, Dai B, Liu J, Sun Y, Zhu B, Liu X. Ignition and combustion characteristics of heptane-based nanofluid fuel droplets. Energy Fuels. 2019;33(10):10282–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Chen J, Peng X. An approach of droplet ignition delay time. Heat Trans Asian Res: Co-sponsored Soc Chem Eng Jpn Heat Trans Division ASME. 2009;38(2):73–82.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  24. Zhang YR, van Duin ACT, Luo KH. Investigation of ethanol oxidation over aluminum nanoparticle using ReaxFF molecular dynamics simulation. Fuel. 2018;234:94–100.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Whang JJ, Yukao CY, Ho JT, Wong SC. Experimental study of the ignition of single droplets under forced convection. Combust Flame. 1997;110:366–76.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Xie L, Kishi T, Kono M. Investigation on the effect of electric fields on soot formation and flame structure of diffusion flames. Symp Int Combust. 1992;24:1059–66.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Ao W, Zhou JH, Yang WJ, Liu JZ, Wang Y, Cen KF. Ignition, combustion, and oxidation of mixtures of amorphous and crystalline boron powders. Combust Explos Shock Waves. 2014;50:664–9.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. Hedman TD, Demko AR, Kalman J. Enhanced ignition of milled boron-polytetrafluoroethylene mixtures. Combust Flame. 2018;198:112–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Ghamari M, Ratner A. Combustion characteristics of colloidal droplets of jet fuel and carbon based nanoparticles. Fuel. 2017;188:182–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Spalding MJ, Krier H, Burton RL. Boron suboxides measured during ignition and combustion of boron in shocked Ar/F/O2 and Ar/N2/O2 mixtures. Combust Flame. 2000;120(1–2):200–10.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Zhang ZP, Chu ZX, Ying-Kun LI. Difference between peak-height and peak-area methods in extracting relative contents of core clay minerals. Mar Sci. 2016;40:107–13.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We greatly appreciate the financial support provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51876187).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering, Changzhou University, Changzhou, 213164, People’s Republic of China

    Zhipeng Mao, Baozhong Zhu, Yunlan Sun & Jiuyu Chen

  2. Department of Energy Engineering, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, People’s Republic of China

    Jianzhong Liu

Authors
  1. Zhipeng Mao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Baozhong Zhu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yunlan Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jiuyu Chen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Jianzhong Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Baozhong Zhu.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary file1 (DOCX 557 kb)

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Mao, Z., Zhu, B., Sun, Y. et al. Improving the ignition and combustion of JP10/boron-based nanofluid fuel droplets by the interaction of PTFE and boron. J Therm Anal Calorim 148, 4185–4194 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-023-12039-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10973-023-12039-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation