AGGLOMERATION OF SOOT PARTICLES IN-DIFFUSION FLAMES UNDER MICROGRAVITY

Experiments have been conducted to investigate the behavior of soot particles in diffusion flames under microgravity conditions using a 490-m drop shaft (10-s microgravity duration) in Hokkaido, Japan. Flames from the combustion of paper sheets and butane jet diffusion flames are observed under microgravity. The oxygen concentration of the surroundings, the butane flow rate, and the burner diameter are Varied as experimental parameters. The generated soot particles are sampled under microgravity and observed using scanning electron and transmission electron microscopes. The flames with a residual convection or forced convection are also observed to examine the influence of flow held on soot particle generation under microgravity. From these results, it is found that a number of large luminous spots appear in diffusion flames under microgravity. From the observation of TEM images, the luminous spots are the result of agglomerating soot particles and the growth of their diameters to a discernible level. The diameter of the agglomerated particles measure about 0.1 mm, 200 to 500 times as large as those generated under normal gravity. It is suggested that these large soot particles are generated in the limited areas where the conditions for the formation of these particles, such as gas velocity (residence time) and oxygen concentration, are satisfied.