Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applications
Combustion within small motors is key in the application-specific development of nanothermite-based micro-energetic systems. This study evaluates the performance of nanothermite mixtures in a converging-diverging nozzle and an open tube. Mixtures were prepared using nano-aluminum (n-Al), potassium p...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
KeAi Communications Co., Ltd.
2023-12-01
|
| Series: | Defence Technology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214914723000715 |
| _version_ | 1797391825513742336 |
|---|---|
| author | Ahmed Fahd Alex Baranovsky Charles Dubois Jamal Chaouki Sherif Elbasuney Shady Shokry |
| author_facet | Ahmed Fahd Alex Baranovsky Charles Dubois Jamal Chaouki Sherif Elbasuney Shady Shokry |
| author_sort | Ahmed Fahd |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Combustion within small motors is key in the application-specific development of nanothermite-based micro-energetic systems. This study evaluates the performance of nanothermite mixtures in a converging-diverging nozzle and an open tube. Mixtures were prepared using nano-aluminum (n-Al), potassium perchlorate (KClO4), and different carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) including graphene-oxide (GO), reduced GO, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs). The mixtures were packed at different densities and ignited by laser beam. Performance was measured using thrust measurement, high-speed imaging, and computational fluid dynamics modeling, respectively. Thrust, specific impulse (ISP), volumetric impulse (ISV), as well as normalized energy were found to increase notably with CNM content. Two distinctive reaction regimes (fast and slow) were observed in combustion of low and high packing densities (20% and 55%TMD), respectively. Total impulse (IFT) and ISP were maximized in the 5% GO/Al/KClO4 mixture, producing 7.95 mN·s and 135.20 s respectively at 20%TMD, an improvement of 57% compared to a GO-free sample (5.05 mN·s and 85.88 s). CFD analysis of the motors over predicts the thrust generated but trends in nozzle layout and packing density agree with those observed experimentally; peak force was maximized by reducing packing density and using an open tube. The numerical force profiles fit better for the nozzle cases than the open tube scenarios due to the rapid nature of combustion. This study reveals the potential of GO in improving oxygenated salt-based nanothermites, and further demonstrates their applicability for micro-propulsion and micro-energetic applications. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:38:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fbbf465e546c4b418f92a57191ff456c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2214-9147 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T23:38:18Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Defence Technology |
| spelling | doaj.art-fbbf465e546c4b418f92a57191ff456c2023-12-14T05:22:58ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Defence Technology2214-91472023-12-01305569Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applicationsAhmed Fahd0Alex Baranovsky1Charles Dubois2Jamal Chaouki3Sherif Elbasuney4Shady Shokry5Chemical Engineering Department, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, H3C 3A7, Canada; Energetic Materials and Nanotechnology Research Center, Technical Research Center, Cairo, 11765, Egypt; Corresponding author. Chemical Engineering Department, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, H3C 3A7, Canada.Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering Department, University of Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, CanadaChemical Engineering Department, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, H3C 3A7, CanadaChemical Engineering Department, École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, H3C 3A7, CanadaHead of Nanotechnology Research Center, Military Technical College, Cairo, 11767, EgyptLaser and Optoelectronics Research Center, Technical Research Center, Cairo, 11765, EgyptCombustion within small motors is key in the application-specific development of nanothermite-based micro-energetic systems. This study evaluates the performance of nanothermite mixtures in a converging-diverging nozzle and an open tube. Mixtures were prepared using nano-aluminum (n-Al), potassium perchlorate (KClO4), and different carbon nanomaterials (CNMs) including graphene-oxide (GO), reduced GO, carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and nanofibers (CNFs). The mixtures were packed at different densities and ignited by laser beam. Performance was measured using thrust measurement, high-speed imaging, and computational fluid dynamics modeling, respectively. Thrust, specific impulse (ISP), volumetric impulse (ISV), as well as normalized energy were found to increase notably with CNM content. Two distinctive reaction regimes (fast and slow) were observed in combustion of low and high packing densities (20% and 55%TMD), respectively. Total impulse (IFT) and ISP were maximized in the 5% GO/Al/KClO4 mixture, producing 7.95 mN·s and 135.20 s respectively at 20%TMD, an improvement of 57% compared to a GO-free sample (5.05 mN·s and 85.88 s). CFD analysis of the motors over predicts the thrust generated but trends in nozzle layout and packing density agree with those observed experimentally; peak force was maximized by reducing packing density and using an open tube. The numerical force profiles fit better for the nozzle cases than the open tube scenarios due to the rapid nature of combustion. This study reveals the potential of GO in improving oxygenated salt-based nanothermites, and further demonstrates their applicability for micro-propulsion and micro-energetic applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214914723000715NanothermitesGraphene oxideReduced graphene oxideCarbon nano materialOxygenated saltsLaser ignition |
| spellingShingle | Ahmed Fahd Alex Baranovsky Charles Dubois Jamal Chaouki Sherif Elbasuney Shady Shokry Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applications Defence Technology Nanothermites Graphene oxide Reduced graphene oxide Carbon nano material Oxygenated salts Laser ignition |
| title | Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applications |
| title_full | Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applications |
| title_fullStr | Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applications |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applications |
| title_short | Thrust characteristics of nano-carbon/Al/oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro-energetic applications |
| title_sort | thrust characteristics of nano carbon al oxygenated salt nanothermites for micro energetic applications |
| topic | Nanothermites Graphene oxide Reduced graphene oxide Carbon nano material Oxygenated salts Laser ignition |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214914723000715 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT ahmedfahd thrustcharacteristicsofnanocarbonaloxygenatedsaltnanothermitesformicroenergeticapplications AT alexbaranovsky thrustcharacteristicsofnanocarbonaloxygenatedsaltnanothermitesformicroenergeticapplications AT charlesdubois thrustcharacteristicsofnanocarbonaloxygenatedsaltnanothermitesformicroenergeticapplications AT jamalchaouki thrustcharacteristicsofnanocarbonaloxygenatedsaltnanothermitesformicroenergeticapplications AT sherifelbasuney thrustcharacteristicsofnanocarbonaloxygenatedsaltnanothermitesformicroenergeticapplications AT shadyshokry thrustcharacteristicsofnanocarbonaloxygenatedsaltnanothermitesformicroenergeticapplications |