Abstract
The effect of surrounding air velocity on the soot deposition process from a diffusion flame to a solid wall was investigated in a microgravity environment to attain in-situ observations of the process. An ethylene($C_2H_4$) diffusion flame was formed around a cylindrical rod burner in surrounding air velocity of $v_{air}$=2.5, 5, and 10 cm/s with oxygen concentration of 35 % and wall temperature of 300 K. Laser extinction was adopted to determine the soot volume fraction distribution between the flame and burner wall. The experimental results show that the soot particle distribution region moves closer to the surface of the wall with increasing surrounding air velocity. A numerical simulation was also performed to understand the motion of soot particles in the flame and the characteristics of the soot deposition to the wall. The results successfully predicted the differences in the motion of soot particles by different surrounding air velocity near the burner surface and are in good agreement with observed soot behavior in microgravity. A comparison of the calculations and experimental results led to the conclusion that a consideration of the thermophoretic effect is essential to understand the soot deposition on walls.
