Description of the thesis topic

The subject of the thesis will be 'Characterisation of condensed combustion products from the combustion of metallic particles in an advanced propulsion context'.
The candidate will have to carry out and analyzing combustion tests with metal particles in order to identify and characterize combustion products.
- Identify and characterize condensed combustion products from burning metal particles.
- Analyze the influence of combustion parameters (temperature, pressure, gaseous atmosphere) on the nature and morphology of solid residues.
- Predict the formation and transport of combustion products
The planned progression over the 36-month period is shown below:
- Year 1: Literature review and experiments on operational systems. Analysis of results and drafting of an interim report. Implementation of new characterization systems.
- Year 2: Experimentation and analysis of newly developed systems. Analysis of results and drafting of a progress report.
- Year 3: Work on modeling tools. Overall interpretation of results and drafting of manuscript.
Skills
Professional skills
- Solid grounding in reactive fluid mechanics and materials
- Ability to analyse complex phenomena and interpret experimental results

Personal skills
- Ability to adapt to changing project requirements and willingness to contribute to collaborative research.
- Ability to work as part of a team, with limited travel to attend project meetings.

Desired educational background
- Engineering degree with experience in one of the following fields: Fluid Mechanics, Combustion, Energetics, Materials
- Proven ability to work on research projects.

Work Context

At the CNRS, in the ICARE UPR3021 laboratory, located on the CNRS campus in Orléans, the candidate will join the Combustion Physics team and will be tasked with carrying out work in the following areas the use of metal particles as energy additives in solid, liquid and hybrid propellants is a rapidly expanding strategy for improving the performance of propulsion systems. Metals, such as aluminum, magnesium or boron, offer a higher energy density than conventional hydrocarbons and can reach high temperatures (>3000 K). However, combustion of these particles generates condensed products that can affect overall engine efficiency, foul exhaust systems, induce instabilities and influence optical and thermal signatures.
The nature of the metal/alloy used determines the combustion regime involved (gas-phase or surface heterogeneous), and therefore the particle size of the oxides produced. In addition, depending on the conditions encountered in the combustion chamber (pressure, temperature, gas composition), combustion products can be nanometric and/or micrometric in size. In addition, the nature and proportion of gases present influence the composition of combustion products.
The aim of this project is to characterize the size and composition of metal oxides produced under conditions representative of rocket engines, for a selection of metals. After meticulous experimental characterization, the unique database obtained will be exploited to enhance the modeling tools currently available.
ICARE is a CNRS Proprietary Unit attached to the Engineering Department, whose main research themes are Combustion & Reactive Systems, Atmosphere and Environment, Space Propulsion and Atmospheric Re-Entry. The laboratory is made up of 8 researchers, 15 teacher-researchers, 15 technical staff and around thirty doctoral and post-doctoral students. The laboratory consists of 3 buildings located on the CNRS campus in Orléans-la-Source.

The position is located in a sector under the protection of scientific and technical potential (PPST), and therefore requires, in accordance with the regulations, that your arrival is authorized by the competent authority of the MESR.