Theoretical Model of the Transient Combustion of Organic-Gellant-Based Gel Fuel Droplets

Experimental evidence of the combustion process of an all-organic gel fuel droplet indicates that at a certain time after ignition, evaporation of the liquid fuel results in the formation of an elastic layer of high-viscosity gellant around the droplet, which prevents further vaporization. As a result, constantly expanding vapor bubbles are produced within the droplet. Eventually, the layer ruptures and jets of fuel vapor are released. A theoretical, time-dependent model of organic-gellant-based gel droplet combustion has been developed and numerically solved. The results indicate that the evaporation rate of the liquid fuel from the droplet surface depends on droplet size and strongly affects the thickness of the gellant layer. The tensile stress, applied to the gellant layer during the formation of the bubbles, reaches high levels in short periods of time and causes the droplet to rupture when it exceeds the layer material rupture stress. The stage during which the gellant layer is formed is almost three orders of magnitude longer than the stage of bubble formation and layer rupture.