The Thermal Theory of Laminar Flame Propagation for Hydrogen-Bromine Mixtures

Author: Mileson, Donald Francis

Year: 1954

Degree: Engineer's thesis

Advisor: Penner, Stanford S.

Committee Member: Unknown, Unknown

Option: Aeronautics

DOI: 10.7907/WN9C-Q975

Abstract

The thermal theory of laminar flame propagation for hydrogen-bromine mixtures is described. The method of analysis follows the earlier work of von Karmen and Millan and of von Karmen and Penner. The problem is materially simplified by introducing the steady-state approximation of classical chemical kinetics for the concentrations of H- and Br-atoms.

The general formulation of the problem is presented in Section II.

Approximate solutions of the relevant mathematical problems, utilizing various procedures developed by von Karman and his collaborators, are given in Sections III to V for bromine-rich, stoichiometric, and hydrogen-rich mixtures, respectively.

Numerical values for the physio-chemical parameters, which are required for the calculation of absolute values for the burning velocities, are considered in Section VI.

The calculated burning velocities are compared in Section VII with experimental results obtained by R. C. Anderson and his collaborators. Reference to Section VII shows that the variation of the observed burning velocities with mixture ratio is predicted correctly by the theoretical calculations. Absolute values for the laminar burning velocity cannot be estimated with certainty because of the possible existence of large errors resulting from extrapolation of low-temperature kinetics and heat conductivity data.

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