Laminar smoke points of coflowing flames in microgravity

Laminar smoke points were measured in nonbuoyant laminar jet diffusion flames in coflowing air. Microgravity was obtained on board the International Space Station. A total of 55 smoke points were found for ethylene, propane, propylene, and propylene/nitrogen mixtures. Burner diameters were 0.41, 0.76, and 1.6 mm, and coflow velocities varied from 5.4 to 65 cm/s. These flames allow extensive control over residence time via variations in dilution, burner diameter, and coflow velocity. The measured smoke-point lengths scaled with d^−0.91u_air^0.41, where d is burner diameter and u_air is coflow velocity. The measurements yielded estimates of sooting propensities of the present fuels in microgravity diffusion flames. Analytical models of residence times in gas jet flames are presented, and although residence time helps explain many of the observed trends it does not correlate the measured smoke points.