Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Combustion of a Polymer Infused Fuel Droplet

Gelled propellants are a propulsion system fuel whose rheological properties are modified by the addition of a gellant, usually a polymeric or colloidal substance, leading to the liquid fuel having a very viscous liquid, or gel-like consistency. Gelled propellants offer many advantages over conventional liquid pro-pellants such as greater control over the energy density, as well as, ease of transportation and storage (like solid propellants). In this work, we study the combustion dynamics of a single polymer-infused fuel droplet, using both experiments and numerical simulation. The droplet is suspended over a flat flame and different stages of combustion are captured. Using the observations from the experimental data, we formulate a theoretical model for the internal dynamics of the polymer-infused fuel droplet till the end of the initial stage. The resulting partial differential equation is solved numerically and is compared against the experimental data.