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The effect of combustion on a gliding arc (GA) discharge is investigated using simultaneous measurements of current and voltage waveforms, as well as imaging and spectroscopic analysis of plasma and flame luminescence. Attributed to the existence of flame, the breakdown voltage and current peak are reduced and the bright sparks during breakdown are dampened. The intrinsic reason is largely owing to the thermal effect of flame. Electrical breakdown is mainly determined by the reduced electric field strength (E/N), which is inversely proportional to temperature. Assuming a constant E/N for breakdown, the combustion-induced temperature increment gives rise to a reduction of the breakdown voltage. The gas composition seems to have less impact on the breakdown voltage. However, the addition of CH 4 can induce more radicals (e.g., H atoms) that enhance the intensity of relevant spectral emissions, especially from OH*. Due to the transport of relatively long-lived radicals, the width of the plasma column of the GA discharge is broadened to form a local reaction zone, serving as a flame holder. Interestingly, the plasma channel moves more smoothly as the flame is present. It implies that the flow field is less turbulent owing to combustion.

The effect of a Rotating Gliding Arc (RGA) plasma discharge on the flame in a scaled Siemens Dry Low Emission (DLE), SGT-750, burner was experimentally investigated under atmospheric combustion conditions. The central pilot section of the burner, named RPL (rich pilot lean), was redesigned with an integrated high voltage electrode to generate an RGA. The exhaust gas was sampled and analysed in terms of CO and NOx emissions, and the CO emission data show that the RGA extends the lean blow-out limit (LBO). High-speed OH chemiluminescence imaging was employed to understand the transient behaviour of the flame in both conditions with and without RGA and also to study the process of flame re-stabilization by the assistance of the RGA. A flame kernel, initiated around the RGA channel, was observed to play an important role in the re-stabilizing process of the flame. Although the NOx emission for the flame with RGA was found to be higher than that without RGA, it was still less than what previous data show for operating conditions with the RPL flame. (Less)

Imaging the interaction between different combustion species under turbulent flame conditions requires methods that both are extremely fast and provide means to spectrally separate different signals. Current experimental solutions to achieve this often rely on using several cameras that are time-gated and/or equipped with different spectral filters. In this work we explore a technique called Frequency Recognition Algorithm for Multiple Exposures (FRAME) as an alternative solution for instantaneous multispectral imaging of flame species. The method is based on exciting different species with different spatial “codes” and to separate each signal component using a spatial frequency-sensitive lock-in algorithm. This methodology permits the signal from several different species to be recorded at the exact same time with a single camera. Furthermore, since the signals are recognized based on the superimposed spatial codes, there is no need for spectral separation prior to detection. The entire fluorescence envelope from each species can thus, in principle, be detected. In the current work, we present simultaneous planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging of OH and CH2O in a turbulent dimethyl ether (DME)/air flame.

Irradiating a flame via microwave radiation is a plasma-assisted combustion (PAC) technology that can be used to modify the combustion chemical kinetics in order to improve flame stability and to delay lean blow-out. One practical implication is that combustion engines may be able to operate with leaner fuel mixtures and have an improved fuel flexibility capability including biofuels. Furthermore, this technology may assist in reducing thermoacoustic instabilities, which is a phenomenon that may severely damage the engine and increase NOX production. To further understand microwave-assisted combustion, a skeletal kinetic reaction mechanism for methane–air combustion is developed and presented. The mechanism is detailed enough to take into account relevant features, but sufficiently small to be implemented in large eddy simulations (LES) of turbulent combustion. The mechanism consists of a proposed skeletal methane–air reaction mechanism accompanied by subsets for ozone, singlet oxygen, chemionization, and...

The mechanism of stabilizing a turbulent premixed methane-air flame using warm filamentary plasma is investigated by using laser diagnostics. First, stabilization of a turbulent jet flame is demonstrated in a setup using a pin-to-pin plasma discharge. The coupled plasma-flame structures were visualized utilizing planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of formaldehyde (CH2O) and methylidyne radicals (CH), as well as laser Rayleigh scattering thermometry imaging. The results show that the plasma channel and the flame front are spatially separated by a layer of hot burning products attributed to the flame propagation from the plasma core. Because of this spatial separation, the impacts of plasma on combustion are primarily thermal since the energetic radical species (such as O, H), produced by the discharge, have short equilibration time and cannot spread far away from the discharge channel before reaching the equilibrium state. From this point of view, turbulence would be beneficial for promoting the transport of plasma-produced radicals and thus bridge the gap between the plasma and the flame front. The plasma is still able to stabilize the flame. Based upon the experimental results, a frequent ignition-flame propagation (FIFP) model is proposed to explain the flame stabilization process. For the contracted plasma filament, the local power density is high enough to initialize the flame kernel that propagates away from the plasma channel until extinction. The propagation process is, however, strongly affected by turbulence. Local extinction is highly probable and thus the flame front has to be close to the ignition source at strong turbulence. At such conditions, the stabilized flame can be regarded as a large number of flame pockets, repeating the three phases of ignition, propagation and extinction, which can be summarized as the FIFP model. It infers that the flame propagation phase is important for sustaining the flame to complete combustion. Hence, this phase should be extended, which is more probable to achieve if the plasma ignition pilot is located in a section of limited turbulence.

The current work aims at investigating the detailed spatial structure of the thin plasma column of a gliding arc (GA) discharge extended in N2-CH4 gas mixtures, using visualization techniques. The GA discharge was operated at up to 5 atm in a high-pressure vessel with extensive optical access. The results show that the emission intensity from the plasma column increased tenfold with the addition of 0.1% CH4 in nitrogen, compared to that in pure N2. Furthermore, an additional layer located around the GA discharge column is detected. Imaging through spectral filters and spectral analysis of the emitted signal indicate that the emissions of this outer layer are mostly from the CN A-X and CH A-X transitions. This outer layer can propagate and extinguish dynamically, similar to the flame front in combustion. Besides, the separation of this outer layer to the plasma core decreases with pressure. The layered structure and its dynamical behaviors can be explained by a plasma-sustained radical propagation mechanism. The high-power plasma column can produce a high-temperature zone with rich atomic species, surrounded by the relatively cold N2-CH4 mixture. At the mixing layer between the high-temperature zone and the N2-CH4 mixture, some highly exothermic reactions occur to produce excited CN and CH species, which emit their specific spectra. As the high-temperature zone expands with time, the outer layer propagates outward. However, with the propagation continuing, the radical species involved in the outer layer formation are rapidly consumed, and thus, this layer disappears when it propagates too far away from the plasma column.

Plasma assisted combustion is a very active research field due to the potential of using the technology to improve combustion efficiency and decrease pollutant emission by stabilizing lean burning flames. It has been shown in a number of studies that a small amount of electrical energy can be deposited in the flame by applying microwaves, resulting in enhanced flame propagation and thus improved flame stabilization and delayed lean blow-out. However, the effects have not yet been properly quantified since there are significant experimental challenges related to the determination of both the laminar burning velocity and the electric field strength. In the present work, a novel setup is described, where a well-defined burner system is coupled to a microwave cavity. The burner is of heat flux type, where a flat laminar flame is stabilized on a perforated burner head. The advantage of this burner for the current use is that the method and related uncertainties are well studied and quantified, and the geometry is suitable for coupling with the microwave cavity. The setup, experimental procedure, and data analysis are described in detail in this article. Laminar burning velocity for a methane-air flame at ϕ = 0.7 is determined to certify that the burner works properly in the microwave cavity. The flame is then exposed to pulsed microwaves at 1 kHz with a pulse duration of 50 µs. The laminar burning velocity at these conditions is determined to be 18.4 cm/s, which is an increase by about 12% compared to the laminar burning velocity that is measured without microwave exposure. The setup shows potential for further investigations of lean flames subjected to various microwave pulse sequences. The data are of high quality with well-defined uncertainties and are therefore suitable to use for validation of chemical kinetics models.

We report on an experimental demonstration of spatially-resolved detection of atomic hydrogen in flames using a single-ended configuration. The lasing signal in a backward direction is obtained by two-photon pumping with 205-nm femtosecond laser pulses.

The ozone (O3) decomposition in the pre-heat zone of flames can initiate and accelerate the chain-branching reactions. In the present study, formaldehyde (CH2O) was investigated by both experiment and simulation methods in methane/air laminar premixed flames under atmospheric conditions. The formaldehyde concentration profiles in the flames were measured with CH2O-PLIF. When 4500 ppm of ozone was added, the formaldehyde concentration in Bunsen type laminar flame was enhanced by 58.5% at fuel-rich condition (I = 1.4) and 15.5% at stoichiometric condition. In the simulation work, the most recent ozone sub-mechanism was coupled with GRI-mech 3.0 kinetic mechanism. It showed that with 4500 ppm ozone addition, the formaldehyde concentration was enhanced by about 48.1% at rich condition (I = 1.4) and about 14.7% in stoichiometric mixture. The simulation suggested an early production of CH2O with ozone addition, especially in rich conditions. These reactions occurred at relatively low temperature, around 500 K. In order to isolate these reactions from the flame, experiments with preheated unburned mixtures were carried out. A larger amount of formaldehyde was produced in the zone far from the flame as the preheating temperature was increased. It indicated that the combustion enhancement with ozone could be caused by the additional reactions of ozone at relatively low temperature. Simulations showed that methoxy radical (CH3O) is the key specie for production of formaldehyde at lower temperatures. Early in the pre-heat zone of the laminar flame, formaldehyde occurs via decomposition of CH3O while in the pre-heated gas mixture via reaction of CH3O with O2. Furthermore, the O3 effect on turbulent flames was investigated showing a greater enhancement in formaldehyde signal than that in the laminar cases. This difference in formaldehyde signal enhancement could be attributed to the expansion of the preheat zone, due to turbulence. (Less)

In plasma-assisted combustion, electric energy is added to the flame where the electric energy will be transferred to kinetic energy of the free electrons that, in turn, will modify the combustion chemical kinetics. In order to increase the understanding of this complex process, the influence of one of the products of the altered chemical kinetics, ozone (O3), has been isolated and studied. This paper reports on studies using a low-swirl methane (CH4) air flame at lean conditions with different concentrations of O3 enrichment. The experimental flame diagnostics include Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) imaging of hydroxyl (OH) and formaldehyde (CH2O). The experiments are also modeled using Large Eddy Simulations (LES) with a reaction model based on a skeletal CH4-air reaction mechanism combined with an O3 sub-mechanism to include the presence of O3 in the flame. This reaction mechanism is based on fundamental considerations including reactions between O3 and all other species involved. The experiments reveal an increase in CH2O in the low-swirl flame as small amounts of O3 is supplied to the CH4-air stream upstream of the flame. This increase is well predicted by the LES computations and the relative radical concentration shift is in good agreement with experimental data. Simulations also reveal that the O3 enrichment increase the laminar flame speed, su, with ∼10% and the extinction strain-rate, Iext, with ∼20%, for 0.57% (by volume) O3. The increase in Iext enables the O3 seeded flame to burn under more turbulent conditions than would be possible without O3 enrichment. Sensitivity analysis indicates that the increase in Iext due to O3 enrichment is primarily due to the accelerated chain-branching reactions H 2 + O â OH + H , H 2 O + O â OH + OH and H + O 2 â OH + O . Furthermore, the increase in CH2O observed in both experiments and simulations suggest a significant acceleration of the chain-propagation reaction CH 3 + O â CH 2 O + H . (Less)

Gaining information of species, temperature, and velocity distributions in turbulent combustion and high-speed reactive flows is challenging, particularly for conducting measurements without influencing the experimental object itself. The use of optical and spectroscopic techniques, and in particular laser-based diagnostics, has shown outstanding abilities for performing non-intrusive in situ diagnostics. The development of instrumentation, such as robust lasers with high pulse energy, ultra-short pulse duration, and high repetition rate along with digitized cameras exhibiting high sensitivity, large dynamic range, and frame rates on the order of MHz, has opened up for temporally and spatially resolved volumetric measurements of extreme dynamics and complexities. The aim of this article is to present selected important laser-based techniques for gas-phase diagnostics focusing on their applications in combustion and aerospace engineering. Applicable laser-based techniques for investigations of turbulent flows and combustion such as planar laser-induced fluorescence, Raman and Rayleigh scattering, coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering, laser-induced grating scattering, particle image velocimetry, laser Doppler anemometry, and tomographic imaging are reviewed and described with some background physics. In addition, demands on instrumentation are further discussed to give insight in the possibilities that are offered by laser flow diagnostics.

Efficient and clean production of electrical energy and mechanical (shaft) energy for use in industrial and domestic applications, surface- and ground transportation and aero-propulsion is currently of significant general concern. Fossil fuels are mainly used for transportation and aero-propulsion, but also for power generation. Combustion of fossil fuels typically give rise to undesired emissions such as unburned hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, soot and nitrogen oxides. The most widespread approach to minimize these is to apply various lean-burn technologies, and sometimes also dilute the fuel with hydrogen. Although efficient in reducing emissions, lean-burn often results in combustion instabilities and igniteon issues, and thus become challenging itself. Another desired aspect of today’s engines is to increase the fuel flexibility. One possible technique that may be useful for circumventing these issues is plasma-assisted combustion, i.e. to supply a small amount of electric energy to the flame to stimulate the chemical kinetics. Although not new, this approach has not yet been fully explored, partly because of it’s complexity, and partly because of apparent sufficiency. Recently, however, several research studies of this area have emerged. This paper attempts to provide a brief summary of microwave-assisted combustion, in which microwaves are utilized to supply the electrical energy to the flame, and to demonstrate that this method is useful to enhance flame stabilization, delay lean blow-off, and to increase combustion efficiency. The main effect of microwaves (or electrical energy) is to enhance the chemical kinetics, resulting in increased reactivity and laminar and turbulent flame speeds. Here we will demonstrate that this will improve the performance of gas turbine combustors. (Less)

Irradiating a flame by microwave radiation is one of several plasma-assisted combustion (PAC) technologies that can be used to modify the combustion chemical kinetics in order to improve flame-stability and to delay lean blow-out. One practical implication is that engines may be able to operate with leaner fuel mixtures and have an improved fuel flexibility capability including biofuels. In addition, this technology may assist in reducing thermoacoustic instabilities that may severely damage the engine and increase emission production. To examine microwave-assisted combustion a combined experimental and computational study of microwave-assisted combustion is performed for a lean, turbulent, swirl-stabilized, stratified flame at atmospheric conditions. The objectives are to demonstrate that the technology increases both the laminar and turbulent flame speeds, and modifies the chemical kinetics, enhancing the flame-stability at lean mixtures. The study combines experimental investigations using hydroxyl (OH) and formaldehyde (CH2O) Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF) and numerical simulations using finite rate chemistry Large Eddy Simulations (LES). The reaction mechanism is based on a methane (CH4)–air skeletal mechanism expanded with sub-mechanisms for ozone, singlet oxygen, chemionization, electron impact dissociation, ionization and attachment. The experimental and computational results show similar trends, and are used to demonstrate and explain some significant aspects of microwave-enhanced combustion. Both simulation and experimental studies are performed close to lean blow off conditions. In the simulations, the flame is gradually subjected to increasing reduced electric field strengths, resulting in a wider flame that stabilizes nearer to the burner nozzle. Experiments are performed at two equivalence ratios, where the leaner case absorbs up to more than 5% of the total flame power. Data from experiments reveal trends similar to simulated results with increased microwave absorption.

The effect of ozone (O3) in a turbulent, swirl-stabilized natural gas/air flame was experimentally investigated at atmospheric pressure conditions using planar laser-induced fluorescence imaging of formaldehyde (CH2O PLIF) and dynamic pressure monitoring. The experiment was performed using a dry low emission (DLE) gas turbine burner used in both SGT-700 and SGT-800 industrial gas turbines from Siemens. The burner was mounted in an atmospheric combustion test rig at Siemens with optical access in the flame region. CH2O PLIF imaging was carried out for four different seeding gas compositions and seeding injection channel configurations. Two seeding injection-channels were located around the burner tip while the other two were located along the center axis of the burner at different distances upstream the burner outlet. Four different seeding gas compositions were used: nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2) and two ozone/oxygen (O3/O2) mixtures with different O3 concentration. The results show that the O3 clearly affects the combustion chemistry. The natural gas/air mixture is preheated before combustion which is shown to kick-start the cold combustion chemistry where O3 is highly involved. The CH2O PLIF signal increases with O3 seeded into the flame which indicates that the pre-combustion activity increases and that the cold chemistry starts to develop further upstream. The small increase of the pressure drop over the burner shows that the flame moves upstream when O3 is seeded into the flame, which confirms the increase in pre-combustion activity.

A novel method for two-dimensional fluorescence lifetime imaging is presented. The technique is demonstrated on averaged planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) signals recorded in a flame. Although demonstrated on averaged images, the concept applies equally well to single-shot images. Formaldehyde was probed through pico-second excitation at 355 nm in a rich methane/oxygen flame (Phi = 2.6). Images were recorded with a dual ICCD camera detection setup with different gate characteristics of the two cameras. The recorded images were analyzed using simulated values of LIF signal detection to generate two-dimensional images of effective lifetimes. Measured lifetimes range from roughly 1 to 4.5 ns. The lifetime image data were used for quenching correction of the LIF images, which, after correction, showed better qualitative agreement compared to a formaldehyde concentration profile simulated with the GRI 3.0 mechanism. (C) 2010 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Less)

Summary form only given. Plasmas in thermal equilibrium have been in use in different kinds of combustion systems since the invention of the internal combustion engine and the spark ignition systems. Recently the possibility of using plasmas in non-thermal equilibrium for energy-efficient production of radicals and excited species that increase the combustion speed has attracted attention. This interest stems not only from the need for more efficient combustion but also from a wish to increase fuel flexibility with a minimum of modification in existing combustor designs. This paper report experiments performed using a dielectric barrier surface discharge to increase the combustion rate in a Bunsen type burner. The burner has a coaxial geometry where premixed fuel-air flows in the outer annular tube while a jet of air can be injected through the central tube, thus increasing turbulent mixing and flame speed. When the central jet is used the power density but not the total power of the flame increases and gives the possibility of studying the influence of the discharge as a function of power density in the flame. Measurements of the electrical parameters together with two-dimensional distributions of OH, CH2O and CH using Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence have been used to analyze the influence of the electrical energy on the combustion process. It is found that, although the total power in the flame is held constant, when the power density in the flame increases the influence of the electrical power on the flame characteristics decreases.

The present paper focuses on some of the major challenges in laser-based combustion diagnostics; namely limited optical access, large probe volumes, quantification of species concentrations from laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), and imaging of non-fluorescing species.

Two-dimensional measurements of primarily hydroperoxyl radicals (HO2) are, for the first time, demonstrated in flames. The measurements are performed in different Bunsen-type premixed flames (H-2/O-2. CH4/O-2, and CH4/air) using photofragmentation laser-induced fluorescence (PF-LIF). Photofragmentation is done by laser radiation at 266 nm, and the generated OH photofragments are probed through fluorescence induced by a laser tuned to the Q(1)(5) transition at 282.75 nm. The signal due to naturally occurring OH radicals, recorded by having the photolysis laser blocked, is subtracted, providing an image that reflects the concentration of OH fragments generated by photolysis, and hence the presence of primarily HO2, but also smaller contributions from H2O2 and, for the methane flames, CH3O2. For the methane flames the measured radial profiles of OH photofragments and natural OH agree well with corresponding profiles calculated for laminar, one-dimensional, premixed flames using CHEMKIN-II with the Konnov detailed C/H/N/O reaction mechanism. An interfering signal contribution is observed in the product zone of the methane flames. It is concluded that the major source for the interference is most likely hot CO2, from which 0 atoms are produced by photolysis, and OH is rapidly formed as the O atoms react with H2O and H-2. This conclusion is supported by the fact that the interference is absent for the hydrogen flame, but appears when CO2 is seeded into the flame. Another strong indication is that the Konnov mechanism predicts a similar buildup of OH after photolysis. (C) 2011 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (Less)

A picosecond-LIDAR system aiming at diagnostics in large-scale combustion devices is developed and characterized. This LIDAR system, using 30 ps Nd:YAG-pulses, has been demonstrated for single-ended measurements on gaseous acetone.

In the present work, a picosecond lidar system aiming at single-ended combustion diagnostics in full-scale combustion devices with limited optical access, such as power plants, is described. The highest overall range resolution of the system was found to be

Sustainable and low-emission combustion is in need of novel schemes to enhance combustion efficiency and control to meet up with new emission standards and comply with varying quality of renewable fuels. Plasma actuation is a promising candidate to achieve this goal but few detailed experiments have been carried out that target how specific combustion and plasma related species are affected by the coupling of plasma and combustion chemistry. Atomic hydrogen is such a species that here is imaged by using the two-photon absorption laser induced fluorescence (TALIF) technique as an atmospheric pressure methane–air flame is actuated by nanosecond repetitively pulsed (NRP) discharges. Atomic hydrogen is observed both in the flame and in the discharge channel and plasma actuation results in a wide modification of the flame shape. A local 50% increase of fluorescence occurs at the flame front where it is crossed by the discharge. Atomic hydrogen in the discharge channel in the fresh-gases is found to decay with a time constant of about 2.4 μs. These results provide new insights on the plasma flame interaction at atmospheric pressure that can be further used for cross-validation of numerical calculations.