The study of deflagration and detonation processes in energetic materials is key for improving their safety and effectiveness. New diagnostic techniques are needed to study a variety of materials, from solid rocket propellants and explosive bridgewire detonators. In our work, a combination of digital in-line holography and imaging pyrometry is used to study the joint size, velocity, and temperature statistics of aluminum agglomerate combustion in solid rocket propellant fires. Time-resolved measurements at up to 20 kHz are then used to characterize the evolution of particle size, velocity, and temperature over time.
For explosive detonations, the shock-waves caused by fragments traveling at approximately 2.5 km/s distort coherent images and make it more difficult to identify fragment morphologies. In order to overcome this challenge, an optical distortion cancelling technique using phase-conjugate digital in-line holography was developed and tested for time-resolved imaging of laser-plasma-generated blast waves, supersonic air jets, and explosively generated hypersonic fragments.
Current work focuses on the development of phase-sensitive diagnostics for determining the density distributions in shock-waves and fireballs created by energetic materials and on the development of diagnostics for understanding reactions occurring at the burning surface of solid propellants and fuels.
Selected Publications
- (*) Y. C. Mazumdar, M. E. Smyser, J. D. Heyborne, M. N. Slipchenko, and D. R. Guildenbecher, “Megahertz-rate Shock-wave Distortion Cancellation via Phase Conjugate Digital In-line Holography,” Nature Communications, vol. 11, 1129, 2020. [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-14868-y]
- M. S. Powell, I. W. Gunduz, W. Shang, J. Chen, S. F. Son, Y. Chen, and D. R. Guildenbecher, “Agglomerate Sizing in Aluminized Propellants Using Digital Inline Holography and Traditional Diagnostics,” Journal of Propulsion and Power, vol. 34, no. 4, pp. 1002-1014, 2018. [https://doi.org/10.2514/1.B36859]
- Y. Chen, D. R Guildenbecher, K. N. G. Hoffmeister, M. A. Cooper, H. L. Stauffacher, M. S. Oliver, and E. B. Washburn, “Study of Aluminum Particle Combustion in Solid Propellant Plumes using Digital In-line Holography and Imaging Pyrometry,” Combustion and Flame, vol. 182C, pp. 225-237, 2017. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.combustflame.2017.04.016]
- (*) Y. C. Mazumdar, J. L. Wagner, D. J. Frederick, D. R. Guildenbecher, and T. L. Hendricks, “Spatially-Resolved Surface Temperature Measurements of a Rocket Motor Nozzle using an Acousto-optic Modulator,” 58th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA Scitech, paper AIAA 2020-1283, 2020. [https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2020-1283]
- (*) Y. C. Mazumdar, J. D. Heyborne, and D. R. Guildenbecher, “Laser Diagnostics for Solid Rocket Propellants and Explosives,” IEEE Research and Applications of Photonics in Defense (RAPID), 2019. [Invited Talk]
- Y. Chen, J. D. Heyborne, D. R. Guildenbecher, M. E. Smyser, and M. N. Slipchenko, “Ultra-high-speed Pulse-burst Phase Conjugate Digital In-line Holography for Imaging Through Shock-wave Distortions,” 57th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, AIAA SciTech, 2019. [https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2019-1602]
- Y. Chen, J. D. Heyborne, and D. R. Guildenbecher, “Time-resolved Digital In-line Holography and Pyrometry for Aluminized Solid Rocket Propellants,” OSA Imaging and Applied Optics Conference: Laser Applications to Chemical, Security and Environmental Analysis, paper LTu3C.5, 2018. [Invited Talk] [https://doi.org/10.1364/LACSEA.2018.LTu3C.5]
- Y. Chen, D. R. Guildenbecher, K. N. Hoffmeister, P. E. Sojka, “Digital Imaging Holography and Pyrometry of Aluminum Drop Combustion in Solid Propellant Plumes,” OSA Imaging and Applied Optics Conference: Laser Applications to Chemical, Security and Environmental Analysis, paper LT4F.2, 2016. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/LACSEA.2016.LT4F.2]