Advanced Combustion: Hot Air Balloon-Engineering

Background:

This Advanced Combustion project stems from a graduate student’s study of heat transfer that occurs inside a hot air balloon. Hot air balloons are a small but vibrant industry that is relevant internationally. However, little to no studies have been conducted to evaluate the performance and efficiency of hot air balloon burners. Our project focuses on possible future optimizations on the burner.

Goal:

Design and construct a testing facility that mimics the conditions of a real hot air balloon, in which we are able to study the emissions and efficiency of an UltraMagic’s 3.2MW MK-32 burner using an Enerac 700 gas analyzer.

Objectives:

Provide a testing facility for hot air balloons outside the field.

Increase combustion efficiency to reduce hot air balloon operation expenses & improve air quality by reducing emissions.

Engage students in research and development  topics that include combustion, thermodynamics, and fluid mechanics

Team Contact: Lily Nguyen (lilyn9@uci.edu)

Advisors: Dr. Derek Dunn-Rankin (ddunnran@uci.edu) and Dr. Alice Chien