Study on Hydrogen-Jet Development in the Argon Atmosphere

Abstract

Hydrogen is one of the promising energy carriers for the future because of its low polluting feature that can be used mainly in internal combustion engine. Since hydrogen combustion in the noble-gas and oxygen atmosphere forms only water, closed-cycle operations for a zero-emission and high-efficiency engine would be realized. In order to find the optimal condition of hydrogen injection in the argon circulated hydrogen engine, characterization of the hydrogen-jet penetration is required to be analyzed. In this study, experiments were made in a constant-volume vessel to investigate the hydrogen-jet developments for different conditions of injection pressure, ambient pressure and nozzle diameter in argon and nitrogen atmospheres. Also, high-speed shadowgraph images were observed at an individual case. Obtained data exhibit that the development of the hydrogen-jet in argon is slower than that in nitrogen due to its high density and faster at a higher injection pressure, at a lower ambient pressure and with a larger nozzle-orifice diameter. Characteristics of hydrogen jets were discussed through those fundamental data, which may help setting design parameters and controlling operational conditions in the argon circulated hydrogen engine.

The author M.R.A. Mansor is a PhD student in Graduate School of Energy Science, Kyoto