Dr.-Ing. Fabian Hagen

Students of chemical engineering/process engineering (or equivalent) interested in experimental work. Knowledge of optical diagnostics and/or aerosol diagnostics may help you get started but is not required.

Location: CS

Motivation:

Iron particles and their oxides can be utilized in a cycle as a carbon-free chemical energy carrier for storing electricity generated from renewable sources. Renewable electricity is used to reduce iron oxide (storage). Micron-sized iron particles are oxidized to release energy for electricity generation (release) at separate locations and times. This enables renewable energy to be stored and transported on a large scale and released CO2-free - a central challenge of the energy transition that has yet to be solved. It is known from literature that under certain boundary conditions nanoparticles can form during the high-temperature oxidation of micron-sized iron particles. The formation of these oxidic nanoparticles is unwanted and should be minimized, as it constantly reduces the mass of the reducible, micron-sized iron oxide particles that need to be looped.

Task:

This thesis is dedicated to the formation of nanoparticles in iron dust flames. The aim is to visualize nanoparticle formation zones as a function of the combustion-related boundary conditions. The spatially resolved nanoparticle concentrations are measured by planar laser-induced incandescence (PLII). This involves laser pulse particle heating and detecting the resulting solid-state radiation, which is proportional to the volume concentration of the nanoparticles. First, the detection unit comprising an intensified camera and a suitable bandpass filter as well as the laser light sheet optics must be set up. Second, the laser pulses must be synchronized with the detection unit. The functionality of the PLII system is to be demonstrated by measuring nanoparticles in a generic validation experiment, which is also to be designed and set up. The work concludes with imaging of the two-dimensional nanoparticle concentration fields in an iron dust flame as a function of varying boundary conditions.

Responsible:

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Dimosthenis Trimis