Thermodynamic Analysis of Prospects for Using Aluminum- and Boron-Containing Clusters in Combined High-Energy Fuels

Abstract

The high enthalpies of combustion of atomic clusters Aln, Bn, and Cn (n = 1, 2, …, 7), AlnCm and BnCm (n = 1, …, 5 and m = 1, …, 5), AlnBm (n + m ≤ 7), and AlnHm and BnHm (n = 1, …, 4 and m ≤ 12) have been assessed. The specific energy release, the final adiabatic temperature, and the effectiveness of the combustion products of fuel mixtures based on kerosene, dimethyl ether, and ethyl alcohol with small additions of such clusters have been de termined under the assumption of attaining a thermodynamic equilibrium in their combustion products. An analysis has been made of the potentials of small aluminum- and boron-containing clusters for use in improving thermochemical properties of the fuels. It has been shown that adding such clusters to traditional fuels in the amount of 10% of the fuel mass can increase the specific energy release of the fuel by 2 MJ/kg, the effectiveness of combustion products of the fuel by 10%, and their final temperature by 200 K.