Point-to-plane corona discharge for high-speed reacting flow visualization

• Published in: Experiments in fluids Vol. 50; no. 1; pp. 35 - 42
• Main Authors: Wisman, David, Ganguly, Biswa
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 2011; Springer
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Chemically reactive flows; Combustion of gaseous fuels; Combustion. Flame; Coronas; Energy; Energy. Thermal use of fuels; Engineering; Engineering Fluid Dynamics; Engineering Thermodynamics; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid dynamics; Fluid flow; Fluid- and Aerodynamics; Fluids; Freshwater; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Heat and Mass Transfer; High speed; Instability; Instrumentation for fluid dynamics; Physics; Reactive, radiative, or nonequilibrium flows; Research Article; Stability; Theoretical studies. Data and constants. Metering; Visualization; Intensify Charge Couple Device; Equivalence Ratio; Pulse Corona Discharge; Stainless Steel Wire Mesh; Flame Front; Flames; Reacting flow; Hydrodynamic instability; Flow visualization; Combustion; Experimental study; Corona effect; Propane
• ISSN: 0723-4864; 1432-1114
• DOI: 10.1007/s00348-010-0890-4

We present the results of a novel technique for the high-speed visualization of a flame reaction zone using a streamer-initiated point-to-plane unipolar pulsed corona discharge. Our results show images of the flame front under conditions of natural hydrodynamic flame instability, as well as external air flow modulation induced flame instability. This technique can potentially be used as a high-speed 2-D flow visualization diagnostic tool to monitor flow instabilities in reacting and non-reacting fluids that have a density gradient. We also show that this technique does not modify the flame characteristics in any measurable way, if the high electric field region of the streamer/corona discharge is located in the downstream region.