Aerodyne Research, Inc.
Center for Energy and Propulsion Technology

 

The Center for Energy and Propulsion Technology at ARI provides a strong interdisciplinary approach to research and technology development, focused on interactions of combustion, fluid flow and transport processes. Experimental, analytical and numerical techniques are combined both to develop innovative technological concepts and to enhance fundamental understanding of key processes. Research in this area is supported by U.S. government agencies, including the Advanced Research Projects Agency, Army, Navy and Air Force, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Energy, and by industry sponsors, including the Gas Research Institute and Hague International.

RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY AREAS

• Gas Turbine Combustion/Emission Control

• Gas Turbine Blade Cooling

• Turbine and Nozzle Chemical Processes

• MicroAir Vehicle System and Propulsion Technology

• Spectroscopic Measurement of Exhaust Pollutant Species

• Mixer/Ejector Nozzle Cold Flow Simulation Facility

• Contrail Formation - Chemical and Microphysical Modeling

• Aircraft Plume and Wake Effects

  • Advanced Propellant Combustion Modeling

  • Pulverized Coal Combustion Modeling

  • Soot Formation Mechanisms and Kinetics

• Flow Diagnostics - LIF, Rayleigh, Chemiluminescence and Particle Scattering

• Solid and Hybrid Propellant Combustion

  • Exhaust Afterburning Mechanisms

  • Advanced Coal Combustor Development

  • Glass Thermal Synthesis Technology

ARI INTERNAL FACILITIES INCLUDE:

• Tunable Infrared, Visible and Ultraviolet Laser Fluid

• Flow and Property Diagnostics

• Pressurized Solid Propellant Strand Burner

• High Temperature Kinetics Flow Reactor

• Pulverized Fuel Research Burner

ARI ALSO UTILIZES A WIDE RANGE OF SPECIALIZED EXTERNAL RESOURCES:

• Cold Flow Simulation Facility (Delivered by ARI to AATD)

• NASA NAS SP2 Parallel Machine - via Internet connection

• NASA Lewis W-8 Compressor Test Facility

• MIT Gas Turbine Laboratory Flow and Thermal Facilities

• Hague International Flow and Combustion Facilities

• AEDC Engine Test Facilities

For more information contact:

Dr. David Stickler, Center Director
Phone: 978-663-9500, Ext. 254
Fax: 978-663-4918
e-mail: dstickler@aerodyne.com

ENERGY AND THERMAL TECHNOLOGIES PERSONNEL

An interdisciplinary group of ARI engineers and scientists is focused on this area. They also draw on the entire ARI staff for specialized support, as well as maintaining intensive interaction with university faculty as team members and consultants.

Joda C. Wormhoudt, Ph.D, Physical Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Wormhoudt's current work is focused on spectroscopic diagnostics of combustion systems, including development of tunable diode laser systems for diagnostic measurements in combustion flows and investigation of several laser-based monitors of explosives pyrolysis gases. He has demonstrated the utilization of infrared fiber optic probing of decomposition processes in burning strands of solid propellant, and analyzed FTIR measurement of infrared emission from combustion sources. He has also contributed to a wide range of experimental studies of molecular infrared and visible spectroscopy and chemical kinetics.

David B. Stickler, Ph.D, Aeronautics and Astronautics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Dr. Stickler has an extensive background in fundamental combustion science, which provides a base for development of innovative concepts for thermal systems. Recent technology innovations include advanced glass synthesis; low emission coal combustion and power system integration; hybrid rocket fuel burn rate enhancement; forced unsteady combustion for gas turbine emission control; and gas turbine blade cooling. He also provides technical support for industrial implementation of these technologies.

Richard C. Miake-Lye, Ph.D, Applied Physics, Stanford University

Dr. Miake-Lye's recent research focuses on understanding the physical and chemical evolution of exhaust flowing from propulsion systems. Both sub-scale physical models and numerical models have been developed to assess problems related to system performance, engine emissions characterization, and contrail formation. A tunable diode measurement technique for trace gas emissions has been developed and is being applied in support of the emissions modeling effort. In addition, a new Aerodyne measurement technology, the Aerosol Mass Spectrometer, is being applied to characterizing the particle emissions from aircraft engines. One major thrust of these efforts is to understand the effects of emissions from gas-turbine engines powering the commercial aviation fleet, both existing and planned, on the global atmosphere and as a contributor to regional air quality.  In addition to these research efforts, Dr. Miake-Lye serves on the SAE E-31 committee, Aircraft Engine Emissions Measurement, as its current chair.  This committee writes Aerospace Information Reports and Aerospace Recommended Practices specifying measurement procedures for characterizing emissions from aircraft engines.

Robert C. Brown, Ph.D, Physical Chemistry, University of California, Los Angeles

Dr. Brown's research centers on computational studies of multi-phase combustion systems and kinetic processes in chemically reacting flows. Current research includes the develop-ment of a particle combustion model for difluoroamino/nitroamino based oxidizers and solid boron and/or aluminum fuels, the theoretical study of sub-nanometer aerosol nucleation and aerosol growth in aircraft exhaust plumes, and investigations on the kinetics of soot formation in methane arc jets.

Kurt D. Annen, Ph.D, Mechanical Engineering, Stanford University

Dr. Annen's research has emphasis on both the development of flowfield diagnostics and on the interaction of chemical kinetics with fluid flow processes. Current diagnostics development includes a system for gas temperature distribution measurement in gas turbine compressors using oxygen LIF. Reacting flow research includes optimization of IR decoys using afterburning combustion, and kinetic modeling to minimize soot formation in a methane arcjet.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS AND PATENTS

"Experimental Evaluation of a Turbine Blade with Potassium Evaporative Cooling," J. Townsend, J. Kerrebrock, D. Stickler, 40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference, Fort Lauderdale FL, AIAA Paper No. 2004-3571

"Vaporization Cooling for Gas Turbines, the Return-Flow Cascade," J.L. Kerrebrock, D.B. Stickler, Transactions of the ASME, 122, 36-42 (2000).

"Vaporization Cooling for Gas Turbines, The Return Flow Cascade", J.L. Kerrebrock and D.B. Stickler, ASME Turbo Expo, June (1998).

"Heterogeneous Fuel for Hybrid Rocket", D.B. Stickler, U.S. Patent #5,529,648 issued June 25, 1996.

"Kinetic Modeling and Sensitivity Analysis for B/H/O/C/F Combustion Systems", R.C. Brown, C.E. Kolb, R.A. Yetter, F.L. Dryer and H. Rabitz, Comb. and Flame, 101, 221-238 (1995).

"Infrared Tunable Diode Laser Measurements of Nitrogen Oxide Species in and Aircraft Engine Exhaust", J. Wormhoudt, M.S. Zahniser, D.D. Nelson, J.B. McManus, R.C. Miake-Lye and C.E. Kolb, Conference on Optical Techniques in Thermal, Fluid and Combustion Flows, SPIE 1995 International Symposium on Optical Science, Engineering and Instrumentation, SPIE 2546 (1995).

"Studies of Pyrolytic Products in Soil Using Infrared Tunable Diode Laser Detection," J. Wormhoudt, J.H. Shorter and C.E. Kolb, Energetic Materials Symposium, Materials Research Society, 1995 Fall Meeting.

"Annular Batch Feed Furnace and Process", D. Stickler et al., U.S. Patent #5,447,547, issued September 5, 1995.

"Kinetic Model for Hydrocarbon-Assisted Particulate Boron Combustion", R.C. Brown, C.E. Kolb, S.Y. Cho, R.A. Yetter, F.L. Dryer and H. Rabitz, International. J. Chem. Kinetics, 26, 319-332 (1994).

"Pulsed Fuel Injection System for Reducing NOx Emissions", D. Stickler et al., U.S. Patent #5,349,811, isssued September 27, 1994.

"Plume and Wake Dynamics, Mixing and Chemistry Behind an HSCT Aircraft," R.C. Miake-Lye, M. Martinez-Sanchez, R.C. Brown, and C.E. Kolb, J. Aircraft, 30, 467 (1993).

"Gas Temperature Measurements Using a Dual-Line Detection Rayleigh Scattering Technique", M.V. Otugen, K.D. Annen and R.G. Seasholtz, AIAA J., 31, 2098 (1993).

"Kinetics of High Temperature Hydrocarbon Assisted Boron Combustion", R.C. Brown, C.E. Kolb, S.Y. Cho, R.A. Yetter, H. Rabitz and F.L. Dryer, in Gas-Phase Metal Reactions, A. Fontjin, Editor, p. 643, Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., The Netherlands, (1993).

"Supersonic Combustion Engine and Method of Combustion Initiation and Distribution", D. Stickler et al., U.S. Patent #5,223,651, issued June 29, (1993).

"Infrared Fiber Optic Diagnostic for Solid Propellant Combustion", J. Wormhoudt and P.L. Kebabian, Materials Research Society Symposium Proceedings 296, Structure and Properties of Energetic Materials, Boston, MA (1992)

"Design of a Gas Turbine Coal Combustor Using a 3-D Numerical Code", A.U. Chatwani, A. Turan, R.C. Diehl and D.B. Stickler, 1992 Joint Power Generation Conference and Exhibition, Atlanta GA

"Fluid Dynamic and Chemistry Effects on Thrusted Decoy Exhaust Plume IR Intensity", K.D. Annen and E.J. Strang, 20th JANNAF Exhaust Plume Technology Meeting, CPIA Pub 568, p 391, May (1991).

"Combustion Technology Development for an Advanced Glass Melting System", D.B. Stickler, L. Westra, J. Woodroffe, K.-M. Jeong, and L.W. Donaldson, Presented at Ninth Annual Industrial Energy Technology Conference and Exhibition, Houston, Texas, September 16-18, (1987).  

Aerodyne Research, Inc.  45 Manning Road Billerica, MA  01821-3976  978 663-9500