Advanced Combustion - Hot Air Balloon

Advanced Combustion - Hot Air Balloon - Fall

Background:

Despite commonly being overlooked due to its small community, hot air balloons act as a mode of transportation for both sport and attraction all over the world. With propane being a constant expense that continually needs to be renewed and a shortage of research in this field, hot air balloon companies are spending averages of up to $1,000,000 on fuel annually.

This project is working to research and develop a testing facility in order to perform analysis on and further improve the performance of the UltraMagic MK-32 burner. We are working toward understanding the combustion behavior of the burner, and measuring its emissions and efficiency for further optimization.

Goals & Objectives:

Current
- Improve a testing device capable of handling the extreme heat of the burner, while also allowing for the ease of measuring the output gases
- Improve a duct system that draws exhaust gases through with minimal intrusion of outside air
- Run fluid flow simulations on a Solidworks CAD model of the testing apparatus that will allow us to better understand the flow of gases in the testing apparatus and its duct
- Develop a new system for the insertion of a probe into the apparatus to collect data
- Implement a fan design to draw emission gases through a designed ventilation system
- Remodel testing rig structure to increase stability and performance
- Design and implement a holder to contain an UltraMagic MK-32 burner
- Study performance and utilization of Enerac 700 gas analyzing probe
- Develop a finalized design for these new improvements
Future
- Reassemble testing rig combined with improved designs
- Fabricate these new components and add them to the apparatus
- Collect new, more accurate data from the burner to begin the process of improving the burner efficiency.
- Analyze the gas emission data and develop improvements to the burner for maximized efficiency