MAE 298 Seminar: Jet-stirred reactors for turbulent premixed flame and chemical kinetics studies

Abstract: Numerous fan-stirred chambers have been developed for use in turbulent premixed flame experiments (at high Damköhler numbers, Da) and numerous jet-stirred chambers have been developed for use in chemical kinetics research (at low Da). These chambers are often conceived, constructed and employed without significant consideration of performance, e.g., homogeneity of turbulence or reaction. This work identifies appropriate performance metrics and optimal designs for high-Da and low-Da jet-stirred chambers using Large Eddy Simulations and compared to “legacy” designs. Experimental results on optimized designs are compared to computational predictions.

Bio: Paul Ronney is a professor and chair of the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at USC. Ronney received a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from UC Berkeley, an master's degree in aeronautics from Caltech, and a Sc.D. in aeronautics and astronautics from MIT. He held postdoctoral appointments at the NASA Lewis Research Center and the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory and a position as assistant professor at Princeton University before assuming his current position at USC. He was a payload specialist astronaut (alternate) for Space Shuttle Missions STS-83 and STS-94 in 1997. Professor Ronney's research areas include microscale combustion, turbulent combustion, internal combustion engines, microgravity combustion and fire spread. He has had experiments flown on three Space Shuttle missions. In recognition of his achievements, he is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and the Combustion Institute, an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, and a senior member of the National Academy of Inventors. He is a recipient of the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award, the Engineer’s Council Distinguished Engineering Educator Achievement Award and the Combustion Institute Distinguished Paper Award.