An experimental study of droplet combustion at high-pressures

This thesis presents an experimental study on high-pressure suspended droplet combustion. The high-pressure combustion chamber, droplet support and temperature measurement probes, and optical imaging technique are described. Experimental results for n-Heptane droplet combustion are presented for reduced pressures ranging from P_r = 0.178 to P_r = 2.305. Primal data includes the transient internal temperature and transient droplet images, for test pressures less than 200 psia, or transient soot plume images, for test pressures greater than 200 psia. Derived measurements include mean gasification rate constants for the d² vaporization law and mean mass burning rates. Theoretical implications from the experimental program are discussed. Development of a droplet-on-demand generator for future free-droplet tests is described, and a discussion of future experimental plans is presented.