Date of Award

Summer 2008

Document Type

Thesis - Restricted

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Koch, Jon

Second Advisor

Borg, John

Third Advisor

Lee, HS

Abstract

The entrainment region of a partially-premixed natural gas water heater burner has been studied using acetone Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF). Baseline measurements were taken, and the effects of fuel supply pressure and orifice type on the mixing characteristics in the entrainment region have been studied. The effect of fuel supply pressure was studied by comparing tests of two different manifold pressures of the same type orifice. The effect of orifice type was studied by comparing three orifices of different types with the same nominal operating pressure. A lower fuel supply pressure entrains more air than the same type nozzle at a higher fuel supply pressure. This is due to the lower Reynolds number of the lower pressure jet, which is a result of the same total fuel flow rate being required for all tests. These results are consistent for both the 'A' and 'R' type nozzles. There is also a clear dependency on the nozzle type in the fully developed region of the jet. The 'A' type nozzles have a higher fully developed spreading rate than the 'R' type nozzles, resulting in more entrainment.

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