skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Title: Boron-Nitride Nanosheet-Based Thermal Barrier Coating for Micro-Combustor Performance Improvement
Abstract One of the major challenges in the development of micro-combustors is heat losses that result in flame quenching, and reduced combustion efficiency and performance. In this work, a novel thermal barrier coating (TBC) using hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) nanosheets as building blocks was developed and applied to a Swiss roll micro-combustor for determining its heat losses with increased temperatures inside the combustor that contributes to improved performance. It was found that by using the h-BN TBC, the combustion temperature of the micro-combustor increased from 850 K to 970 K under the same thermal loading and operational conditions. This remarkable temperature increase using the BN TBC originated from its low cross-plane thermal conductivity of 0.4 W m−1 K−1to mitigate the heat loss from the micro-combustor plates. Such a low thermal conductivity in the h-BN TBC is attributed to its interfacial resistance between the nanosheets. The development of h-BN TBC provides an effective approach to improve thermal management for performance improvements of gas turbine engines, rocket engines, and all various kinds of micro-combustors.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1706777
PAR ID:
10334949
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Energy Resources Technology
Volume:
144
Issue:
6
ISSN:
0195-0738
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. Abstract We present a phenomenological reduced-order model to capture the transition to thermoacoustic instability in turbulent combustors. Based on the synchronization framework, the model considers the acoustic field and the unsteady heat release rate from turbulent reactive flow as two nonlinearly coupled sub-systems. To model combustion noise, we use a pair of nonlinearly coupled second-order ODEs to represent the unsteady heat release rate. This simple configuration, while nonlinearly coupled to another oscillator that represents the independent sub-system of acoustics (pressure oscillations) in the combustor, is able to produce chaos. Previous experimental studies have reported a route from low amplitude chaotic oscillation (i.e., combustion noise) to periodic oscillation through intermittency in turbulent combustors. By varying the coupling strength, the model can replicate the route of transition observed and reflect the coupled dynamics arising from the interplay of unsteady heat release rate and pressure oscillations. 
    more » « less
  2. ABSTRACT The quest for faster and more densely packed microelectronic circuits has necessitated significant advancements in thermal management and encapsulant manufacturing technologies. This pursuit has driven the development of innovative methods to enhance heat flux and thermal transfer in microelectronics packaging. A critical issue is the thermal stress induced by the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) mismatch between the chip and the substrate, threatening the chip's mechanical integrity and lifespan. To address this challenge, there is a growing emphasis on using underfills to improve thermal transfer and heat dissipation. The current study focuses on using hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) nanofillers for robust thermal support in microelectronics packaging. This study deploys epoxy adhesives to integrate nanofillers, where precise dispersion is crucial for optimizing thermal and mechanical properties. Findings show 1500‐ and 500‐nm h‐BN enhance axial thermal conductivity and diffusivity linearly with filler content, while the 70‐nm h‐BN plateaus at 3% volume. The 70‐nm h‐BN demonstrates superior radial thermal performance. 
    more » « less
  3. Despite its importance, a sophisticated theoretical study of thermal conductivity in bulk h-BN has been lacking to date. In this study, we predict thermal conductivity in bulk h-BN crystals using first-principles predictions and the Boltzmann transport equation. We consider three-phonon (3ph) scattering, four-phonon (4ph) scattering, and phonon renormalization. Our predicted thermal conductivity is 363 and 4.88 W/(m K) for the in-plane and out-of-plane directions at room temperature, respectively. Further analysis reveals that 4ph scattering reduces thermal conductivity, while phonon renormalization weakens phonon anharmonicity and increases thermal conductivity. Eventually, the in-plane and out-of-plane thermal conductivities show intriguing ∼T−0.627 and ∼T−0.568 dependencies, respectively, far deviating from the traditional 1/T relation. 
    more » « less
  4. Since its implementation, exhaust gas recirculation has proven to be a reliable technique to control NOx emissions by lowering combustion temperature. Dilution with exhaust gas recirculation, whether in internal combustion engines or sequential-staged gas turbine combustors, affects flame reactivity and stability, which are related to the heat release rate and engine power. Another way to control emissions is to use hydrogen as a carbon-free alternative fuel, which is considered a milestone in the energy-decarbonization journey. However, the high reactivity of hydrogen is one of its hurdles and understanding this effect on laminar burning velocity is important. Flame propagation and burning velocity control the mixture reactivity and exothermicity and are related to abnormal combustion phenomena, such as flashback and knock. Therefore, understanding the effect of exhaust gas addition on the laminar burning velocity of hydrogen/air mixtures is imperative for engine design. In this work, a constant volume combustion chamber was used to observe the laminar burning velocity of stoichiometric hydrogen/air mixtures diluted with combustion products at 1 bar and 423K. Actual combustion products (35 % H2O + 65 % N2, by mole) were used for dilution at rates of 0-50%. The burned gas Markstein length was calculated for all mixtures. Experimental results of the laminar burning velocities for all mixtures were compared with kinetic modeling results. These measurements showed the monotonic reduction of reactivity and the laminar burning velocity with dilution. The reduced burning rates at higher dilution were reflected on the pressure gradient inside the vessel. Markstein length values decreased with dilution, meaning that flame instabilities increased with dilution. 
    more » « less
  5. Abstract Fire retardant coatings have been proven effective at reducing the heat release rate (HRR) of structural materials during burning; yet effective methods for increasing the ignition temperature and delay time prior to burning are rarely reported. Herein, a strong, fire‐resistant wood structural material is developed by combining a densification treatment with an anisotropic thermally conductive flame‐retardant coating of hexagonal boron nitride (h‐BN) nanosheets to produce BN‐densified wood. The thermal management properties created by the BN coating provide fast, in‐plane thermal diffusion, slowing the conduction of heat through the densified wood, which improves the material's ignition properties. Compared with densified wood without the BN coating, a 41 °C enhancement in ignition temperature (Tig), a twofold increase in ignition delay time (tig), and a 25% decrease in the maximum HRR of BN‐densified wood can be achieved. As a proof of concept for scalability, the pieces of the BN‐densified wood are fabricated with a length larger than 25 cm, width greater than 15 cm, and thickness more than 7 mm. The improved thermal management, fire resistance, mechanical strength, and scalable production of BN‐densified wood position it as a promising structural material for safe and energy‐efficient buildings. 
    more » « less