Plasma-Enhanced Flames At Elevated Pressure
Abstract
Over the past decade, plasma-assisted combustion and ignition have been widely studied as potential means of improving combustion efficiency across a wide range of applications that include land-based power generation, aviation gas turbines, and supersonic propulsion. The details of the various mechanisms by which a plasma discharge can effect combustion are not yet well-understood, but initial experimental and computational studies have been very promising. These studies have shown that plasmas can have several advantageous effects on flames, including reduced ignition delay, increased flame speed, and enhanced stabilization at low equivalence ratios. The overall goal of the proposed work is to advance understanding of plasma-assisted combustion at elevated pressures typical of many combustors. New systems for generating well-controlled plasmas over a range of pressures will be developed and characterized usingplasma diagnostics. These plasma systems will then be used with a burner to study the effect of the plasma on fuel-lean methane/air flames at atmospheric pressure. Visualization and laser diagnostic measurements will be used to gain insight on the physics of the plasma-flame coupling. A second burner will be developed for studying plasma-assisted flames at high pressure. This High-Pressure Plasma-Assisted (HiPPA) burner will be the first of its kind and will be used to conduct benchmark studies on the plasma effect on flames at elevated pressures. Preliminary studies of the influence of pressure on the plasma-flame interaction will be performed and a plan will be developed for future high-pressure plasma-assisted flame experiments using advanced diagnostics. The results of this research will provide new fundamental understanding of thephysics underlying plasma-flame coupling and will lay the groundwork for developing plasma control strategies at relevant engine conditions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Dec 05, 2016
- Source ID
- FA95501610565
Entities
People
- Sally Bane
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Virginia