The effect of plasma jet ignition on flame propagation and sooting at the rich limit of flammability

✍ Scribed by I.M. Vince; C. Vovelle; F.J. Weinberg

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1984
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 484 KB
• Volume: 56
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0010-2180
• DOI: 10.1016/0010-2180(84)90009-9

✦ Synopsis

It is shown that, as in the case of lean limits of flammability, rich limits are also considerably extended by plasma jet ignition. Soot formation is greatly reduced and flame propagation velocity increased when plasmas in certain media are used lor the initiation of flames. The most effective media involve participation of both oxygen and fuel and the effect does not appear to be due to H alone. The fluid mechanical effects of energy release by combustion or volume generation by evaporating liquid within the plasma plug cavity are also considered. This leads to experiments on liquid-fed plugs which proved so effective near the lean limit. It is shown that these are also capable of increasing propagation rates and reducing soot formation at the rich limit and, while they are somewhat less effective than fuel and oxygen containing gaseous plasma leeds there, they are more likely to be interesting from the practical point of view.