Soot Formation During CombustionResearch Stories

Heinz Pitsch

Proceedings of the Combustion Institute

Experimental investigation of soot evolution in a turbulent non-premixed
prevaporized toluene flame

Introduction

Researchers from RWTH Aachen in Germany are trying to understand how soot forms in combustion processes. Soot is typically an unwanted by product of the combustion process and a major contributor to environmental and health hazards associated with it. As is common practice in combustion experiments the researchers use intensified cameras to achieve precise time resolution as well as distinguishing signals from the bright flame background when they are excited by very short laser pulses.

For example, monitoring fluorescence from two, narrow band spectral lines using custom filters allows for measurement of the local gas temperature. The distribution of OH was measured using narrow band filters in the UV around 310 nm using planar laser induced fluorescence.

Further Information