>> PETER, CAN YOU
INTRODUCE YOURSELF
TO THE VIEWERS?
>> SURE, I'M PETER SUNDERLAND,
I'M ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
IN THE DEPARTMENT OF
FIRE PROTECTION ENGINEERING
AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND.
>> OKAY, AND WHAT'S YOUR ROLE
ON THE ACME PROJECT?
>> I'M A CO-INVESTIGATOR ON
THE FLAME DESIGN EXPERIMENT
AND A CO-INVESTIGATOR ON
THE BRE EXPERIMENT.
>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT
THE FLAME DESIGN EXPERIMENT?
WHAT-WHAT IS THE OBJECTIVE AND
HOW IS THAT BEING CARRIED OUT?
>> SO FLAME DESIGN IS A
REALLY NOVEL IDEA THAT
WE DESIGN ALL KINDS OF THINGS
IN THIS WORLD.
WE BUILD ENVIRONMENT CARS,
PLANES, AND SHIPS.
AND, UNTIL NOW WITH FLAMES,
WE'VE NOT REALLY DESIGNED THEM.
YOU TURN ON THE FLAME,
YOU HAVE FUEL BURNING IN AIR.
SO FLAME DESIGN OPENS UP
THAT PARAMETER SPACE AND SAYS,
"WHAT HAPPENS IF WE
TAKE THE NITROGEN OUT OF THE AIR
AND MIX IT WITH THE FUEL?"
BURNING PURE OXYGEN,
FOR EXAMPLE.
SO FLAME DESIGN HAS
TWO SPECIFIC THINGS THAT
IT'S INTERESTED IN.
IT'S THE SOOT FORMATION
AND THE EXTINCTION BEHAVIOR.
AND BY GOING IN MICROGRAVITY,
WE CAN EXAMINE THOSE
IN BETTER DETAIL.
>> AND SO,
BY DESIGNING THE FLAME,
YOU COULD CREATE CONDITIONS
THAT ARE BETTER FOR EFFICIENCY
AND-AND REDUCE POLLUTION?
>> SO WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE YET,
BUT WE'RE HOPEFUL
THAT WE CAN HELP WITH, UH,
CLIMATE CHANGE AND CO2 EMISSION,
UH, CO2 SEQUESTRATION.
BY REMOVING NITROGEN
FROM THE SYSTEM,
IT'S MUCH EASIER TO THEN
CAPTURE THE CO2 AFTER YOU BURN,
UH, A HYDROCARBON FUEL.
AND ALSO, WITH EXTINCTION,
IF YOU CAN MAKE FLAMES, UH,
MORE RESISTANT TO EXTINCTION,
THEN YOU CAN, UH,
CONTROL THE EMISSIONS
AND IMPROVE THE EFFICIENCY.
SO IT'S KIND OF
ALL OF THE ABOVE.
>> OKAY.
AND THE ADVANTAGE OF GOING
TO MICROGRAVITY--
TO TESTING IN THAT ENVIRONMENT?
>> ONE OF THE KEY THINGS
WE'RE LOOKING AT IS SOOT.
AND SOOT IS SUCH A
COMPLICATED MOLECULE WITH
A-A MILLION CARBON ATOMS
PER INDIVIDUAL SOOT
PRIMARY PARTICLE,
THAT THIS CAN'T BE ANALYZED
VERY WELL WITH COMPUTERS.
IT REALLY-- WE'RE STILL IN
THE EXPERIMENTAL STAGE.
IN NORMAL GRAVITY EXPERIMENTS,
THEY'RE INHERENTLY
TWO-DIMENSIONAL
AND OFTEN TURBULENT FLAMES,
AND WE CAN AVOID THAT
IN MICROGRAVITY AND LOOK AT
PERFECTLY ONE-DIMENSIONAL FLAMES
THAT ARE MUCH SIMPLER
AND THAT CAN BE MODELED WITH
VERY SIMPLE COMPUTER CODES.
>> SO THAT ALLOWS YOU TO
FOCUS ON THE CHEMISTRY
AND THE TRANSPORT PHENOMENA
INSTEAD OF THE STRUCTURE.
>> THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT.
BY TAKING OUT
THE UNSTEADY EFFECTS,
THE TWO-DIMENSIONAL EFFECTS,
WE CAN FOCUS ON THOSE--
THE CHEMISTRY OF SOOT.
>> OKAY.
THANKS FOR SHARING, PETER.
>> SURE, THANKS DENNIS.