McGill University
Space-manufactured fuels for propulsion and energy storage — The main objective of the project is to investigate metal-fuel combustion using a microgravity platform on board of the Falcon-20 parabolic aircraft, where the effects of particle settling, and natural convection are suppressed. Through this microgravity research, critical understanding on metal flame combustion can be achieved by investigating its propagation limit, and the understanding is improved with complementary ground-based research that examine additional parameters, such as burning velocity, flame temperature, and combustion products. In the present project, it is expected that new unique characteristics of metal combustion will be discovered through examining a wide range of fuel concentrations in at least two different particle size distributions. Metal-fuel combustion technologies are also essential in transition to a carbon-free society in Canada through using metal powders as sustainable carbon-free energy carriers.