Laser-Induced Particle Impact Testing in High-Pressure Oxygen Environments

Particle impact ignition is an important source of metal fires in the high-pressure oxygen environments found in the turbines of oxygen-rich turbopumps. Understanding of particle impact ignition has been hindered by experimental challenges in reproducing this phenomenon under controlled laboratory conditions. This study addresses these challenges through the development of a specialized particle impact rig that integrates laser-induced particle impact testing (LIPIT) into an oxygen-compatible pressure vessel, thus enabling precise control over environmental conditions (target temperature, oxygen pressure) as well as impact variables (particle size/shape, impact velocity). This thesis describes the design of the oxygen-compatible pressure vessel, emphasizing considerations such as stress analysis, materials selection, oxygen-compatibility, and integration with the LIPIT system. The thesis concludes with pathfinding experiments successfully demonstrating particle ignition in a prototype rig, providing in situ images of single particle ignition events using application-relevant materials and particle sizes. Future work will use this rig to characterize the effects of operating conditions and material choices on susceptibility to particle impact ignition with a view toward developing more durable oxygen-compatible hardware for next-generation staged combustion rocket engines.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2023

Author dc:creator

• Alyassini, Samair

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Cordero, Zachary

Statement dc:rights

• In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted
• Copyright retained by author(s)

Licence dc:rights.uri

• https://rightsstatements.org/page/InC-EDU/1.0/

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/151898

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/151898