CE-5B-1 Facility Description
Combustion studies are conducted in this two-test position facility specifically in support of the NOx reduction research for the HSR program and the AST program. CE-5B-1 is large enough to test sector arrangements of injector elements, to include interactions of the elements, and single larger elements. The facility receives filtered combustion air from the 450 psig system. The air is heated in a 1100 deg F non-vitiated heater at flows up to 20 lb/s, which can be valved to either test stand. The airflow passes through the test section, is water spray quenched and then discharged to the altitude exhaust system or the atmospheric exhaust system. The facility preheater consists of a heat exchanger fired by four J-47 burner cans using natural gas for a fuel and the 40 psig combustion air. The research hardware uses ASTM Jet-A, JP-5, or JP-8 as a fuel.


CE-5 Facility Graphic (click for enlargement)

CE-5B-1 Special Features
In addition to inlet and exit rakes and standard instrumentation, water-cooled gas sampling rakes are in the downstream section. Particulate measurements are taken at the exit of the combustion section. Optical accessibility of the combustor section allows never before possible nonintrusive laser-based diagnostics of the reacting and non reacting flowfield. These include such techniques as planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF)imaging, Planar Mie scattering, Phase/Doppler particle analysis (PDPA), focussed Schlieren imaging and light sheet photography. Both rigs share the gas analysis, particulate analysis, and diagnostics equipment.