Experimental study on microwave ignition of ADN-based liquid propellant droplets doped with alumina nanoparticles

Abstract

Abstract The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of alumina (Al2O3) nanoparticles on the evaporation, ignition, and combustion of ammonium dinitramide (ADN)-based liquid propellants under microwave irradiation. The alumina nanoparticles were uniformly dispersed in the ADN-based propellant at mass ratios of 25, 50, and 100 ppm, resulting in the formation of nano-fuel. Experimental methods were employed to examine the influence of alumina nanoparticles on the micro-explosion intensity, ignition delay time, combustion duration, critical ignition power, and emission spectra of the nano-fuel droplets. The experimental findings revealed a significant increase in the intensity and frequency of micro-explosion events with the inclusion of alumina nanoparticles. Compared to pure propellant, the nano-fuel with a concentration of 25 ppm exhibited a reduction of 33.5% in ignition delay time and a decrease of 9% in critical ignition power. Furthermore, the emission spectra characteristics of the pure propellant and nano-fuel were analyzed, indicating that alumina nanoparticles notably enhanced the thermal decomposition of ADN and the exothermic reaction of methanol combustion. This study provides an effective approach to improve the evaporation and combustion performance of ADN-based liquid propellants, offering potential possibilities for future applications.