Honors College Thesis
 

Development of a Framework for Analyzing the Effects of a Micro Pin Fin Array on the Catalytic Combustion of Hydrogen in Micro-channels

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https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/8w32r738t

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  • An experimental framework for investigation of the effects of Micro Pin Fin Arrays (MPFA) on the fuel oxidation efficiency of catalytic combustion is presented in this thesis. Complete combustion of the fuel is essential for operation at maximum efficiency and high standards of environmental cleanliness desired in existing microscale combustion applications. Higher residence times can increase the conversion rate of fuel as there is more time for the reaction to occur. Flow around a staggered array of pin fins causes increased residence times over a plain rectangular microgap due to the impingement of the flow on pins and the slower wake region behind the pins. The framework consists of detailed infrared thermography of the MPFA to characterize the surface temperature, scanning electron microscopy to characterize the catalyst morphology, and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDAX) to characterize the elemental composition of the catalyst surface. In addition to the local measurements, gas chromatography was used to identify the composition of the exhaust gas. To test the framework, a preliminary experiment of two different pin fin array geometries were investigated at various combustion temperatures and residence times. Based on the results of the experiment, further refinement of the framework is proposed.
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