Abstract
The ability to calculate the performance of any proposed type of heating operation or power-plant combustion cycle requires a knowledge of the thermodynamic properties of the system. If the systems encountered consist of any combination of the four species, carbon-hydrogen-oxygen-nitrogen, in any reasonable proportion, the number of thermodynamic charts necessary for a solution with minimum interpolation would be enormous without specially developed procedures. This paper presents a method of expressing the thermodynamic properties of the four-component system in a dimensionless form which permits putting the whole system onto a simple set of charts for easy engineering use. The present data have particular value in calculating flame temperatures and in solving the performance of liquid-fuel rocket power plants. The data span the range of operation of conventional combustion systems and therefore also apply to systems such as furnaces operated with oxygen enrichment or very high preheat, as well as most usual power cycles. The method of use is illustrated by application to a rocket system.
