Current Research

Melt Dispersion Mechanism for Nano-scale Thermites and Energetic Composites

Steven Dean: This project focuses on quantifying and qualifying changes in Al+PTFE composite burn rates with changes in density. Confined and unconfined compressed pellets are ignited using a 400W pulsed CO2 laser. Burn rates and ignition delay times are recorded with a high speed digital camera.; Video
Birce Dikici: The objective of this project is to validate the melt dispersion theory experimentally by designing experiments that examine the combustion behavior of nanocomposite powder mixtures of Aluminum and Molybdenum Trioxide. Combustion velocity and pressure measurements are analyzed for mixtures confined in cylindrical tubes.

Charles Crane: This project involves using an infrared camera to quantify heat transfer rates from a nano-scaled thermite into a steel substrate.; Video

Shawn Stacy: This project involves using high speed photography to determine the energy content of energetic composites by examining the bubbles they form when they are ignited underwater.; Video

Eric Nixon: This project characterizes the performance of a thermite torch resulting from different torch nozzle geometries. Equipment used includes calorimeters for heat flux and temperature data as well as a high speed camera for flame velocity.; Video

Kavya Balupari: This study examines the speed of the limiting diffusion reaction of molten Al droplets (without a passivation shell) as a function of droplet diameter and environmental conditions such as mass fraction of oxidizer and quiescent versus advective flow conditions.