Thermal characterization of an ignition assistant device at engine relevant conditions
Alonso, Richard
This item is only available for download by members of the University of Illinois community. Students, faculty, and staff at the U of I may log in with your NetID and password to view the item. If you are trying to access an Illinois-restricted dissertation or thesis, you can request a copy through your library's Inter-Library Loan office or purchase a copy directly from ProQuest.
Permalink
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/116128
Description
Title
Thermal characterization of an ignition assistant device at engine relevant conditions
Author(s)
Alonso, Richard
Issue Date
2022-07-22
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Lee, Tonghun
Department of Study
Mechanical Sci & Engineering
Discipline
Mechanical Engineering
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
M.S.
Degree Level
Thesis
Keyword(s)
Ignition
Heat Transfer
UAS
Silicon Nitride
Abstract
It is of importance to improve technologies for multi-fuel capable compression ignition (CI) engine performance with various aerospace applications. One area that will benefit from enhancing such engines is the reliability of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). Common causes for UAS failure are insufficient fuel combustibility or extreme engine operation conditions like cold start-up or low-pressure inlet air that is experienced at higher altitudes. Considering recent campaigns for increased use of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) in the aviation industry, adaptability for multi-fuel capable propulsion systems will be essential for the future of aerial vehicles. Thus, maintaining engine reliability when combusting low quality fuels is certainly a concern for next generation UAS. Various methods for increasing combustion reliability include the use of ignition assistants. This report details the temperature and power draw characteristics of commercial off-the-shelf glow plugs (COTS) in compression ignition engine-like flows.
This project aims to better understand the heat transfer characteristics of a commercial Bosch Duraspeed™ ceramic glow plug in a controlled flow environment. The original test section was developed with the goal of recreating engine-like-flows in an environment where the COTS glow plug’s temperature could be easily monitored with a thermocouple. Next, for optimized flow conditions and incorporation of radiometric temperature measurements, a modular flow facility was manufactured to include IR transparent windows. Experiments included sets of test matrices where parameters such as mass flow rate, supply voltage, insertion depth of the glow plug into the flow, and different shield designs were varied to analyze the glow plug’s performance in different operating conditions. The radiometric temperature investigation is of use for identification of optimal insertion depths and shield designs. These findings are beneficial to the future development of CI engines for application in next generation UAS.
Use this login method if you
don't
have an
@illinois.edu
email address.
(Oops, I do have one)
IDEALS migrated to a new platform on June 23, 2022. If you created
your account prior to this date, you will have to reset your password
using the forgot-password link below.