Gregory B. Rieker

Calibration-free wavelength-modulation spectroscopy for measurements of gas temperature and concentration in harsh environments

We present a practical implementation of calibration-free wavelength-modulation spectroscopy with second harmonic detection (WMS-2f) for measurements of gas temperature and concentration in harsh environments. The method is applicable to measurements using lasers with synchronous wavelength and intensity modulation (such as injection current-tuned diode lasers). The key factors that enable measurements without the on-site calibration normally associated with WMS are (1) normalization of the WMS-2f signal by the first harmonic (1f) signal to account for laser intensity, and (2) the inclusion of laser-specific tuning characteristics in the spectral-absorption model that is used to compare with measured 1f-normalized, WMS-2f signals to infer gas properties. The uncertainties associated with the calibration-free WMS method are discussed, with particular emphasis on the influence of pressure and optical depth on the WMS signals. Many of these uncertainties are also applicable to calibrated WMS measurements. An example experimental setup that combines six tunable diode laser sources between 1.3 and 2.0 mum into one probe beam for measurements of temperature, H(2)O, and CO(2) is shown. A hybrid combination of wavelength and frequency demultiplexing is used to distinguish among the laser signals, and the optimal set of laser-modulation waveforms is presented. The system is demonstrated in the harsh environment of a ground-test scramjet combustor. A comparison of direct absorption and 1f-normalized, WMS-2f shows a factor of 4 increase in signal-to-noise ratio with the WMS technique for measurements of CO(2) in the supersonic flow. Multidimensional computational fluid-dynamics (CFD) calculations are compared with measurements of temperature and H(2)O using a simple method that accounts for the influence of line-of-sight (LOS) nonuniformity on the absorption measurements. The comparisons show the ability of the LOS calibration-free technique to gain useful information about multidimensional CFD models.

Extension of wavelength-modulation spectroscopy to large modulation depth for diode laser absorption measurements in high-pressure gases

Tunable diode laser absorption measurements at high pressures by use of wavelength-modulation spectroscopy (WMS) require large modulation depths for optimum detection of molecular absorption spectra blended by collisional broadening or dense spacing of the rovibrational transitions. Diode lasers have a large and nonlinear intensity modulation when the wavelength is modulated over a large range by injection-current tuning. In addition to this intensity modulation, other laser performance parameters are measured, including the phase shift between the frequency modulation and the intensity modulation. Following published theory, these parameters are incorporated into an improved model of the WMS signal. The influence of these nonideal laser effects is investigated by means of wavelength-scanned WMS measurements as a function of bath gas pressure on rovibrational transitions of water vapor near 1388 nm. Lock-in detection of the magnitude of the 2f signal is performed to remove the dependence on detection phase. We find good agreement between measurements and the improved model developed for the 2f component of the WMS signal. The effects of the nonideal performance parameters of commercial diode lasers are especially important away from the line center of discrete spectra, and these contributions become more pronounced for 2f signals with the large modulation depths needed for WMS at elevated pressures.

Near-infrared diode laser absorption diagnostic for temperature and water vapor in a scramjet combustor

Tunable diode laser absorption measurements of gas temperature and water concentration were made at the exit of a model scramjet combustor fueled on JP-7. Multiplexed, fiber-coupled, near-infrared distributed feedback lasers were used to probe three water vapor absorption features in the 1.34-1.47 microm spectral region (2v1 and vl + v3 overtone bands). Ratio thermometry was performed using direct-absorption wavelength scans of isolated features at a 4-kHz repetition rate, as well as 2f wavelength modulation scans at a 2-kHz scan rate. Large signal-to-noise ratios demonstrate the ability of the optimally engineered optical hardware to reject beam steering and vibration noise. Successful measurements were made at full combustion conditions for a variety of fuel/air equivalence ratios and at eight vertical positions in the duct to investigate spatial uniformity. The use of three water vapor absorption features allowed for preliminary estimates of temperature distributions along the line of sight. The improved signal quality afforded by 2f measurements, in the case of weak absorption, demonstrates the utility of a scanned wavelength modulation strategy in such situations.

A diode laser sensor for rapid, sensitive measurements of gas temperature and water vapour concentration at high temperatures and pressures

A near-infrared diode laser sensor is presented that is capable of measuring time-varying gas temperature and water vapour concentration at temperatures up to 1050 K and pressures up to 25 atm with a bandwidth of 7.5 kHz. Measurements with noise-equivalent-absorbances of the order of 10−3 (10−5 Hz−1/2) are made possible in dynamic environments through the use of wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) with second harmonic detection (2f) on two water vapour spectral features near 7203.9 and 7435.6 cm−1. Laser performance characteristics that become important at the large modulation depths needed at high pressures are accounted for in the WMS-2f signal analysis, and the utility of normalization by the 1f signal to correct for variations in laser intensity, transmission and detector gain is presented. Laboratory measurements with the sensor system in a static cell with known temperature and pressure agree to 3% RMS in temperature and 4% RMS in H2O mole fraction for 500 < T < 900 K and 1 < P < 25 atm. The sensor time response is demonstrated in a high-pressure shock tube where shock wave transients are successfully captured, the average measured post-shock temperature agrees within 1% of the expected value, and H2O mole fraction agrees within 8%.

Current distribution measurements inside an electromagnetic plasma gun operated in a gas-puff mode

Measurements are presented of the time-dependent current distribution inside a coaxial electromagnetic plasma gun. The measurements are carried out using an array of six axially distributed dual-Rogowski coils in a balanced circuit configuration. The radial current distributions indicate that operation in the gas-puff mode, i.e., the mode in which the electrode voltage is applied before injection of the gas, results in a stationary ionization front consistent with the presence of a plasma deflagration. The effects of varying the bank capacitance, transmission line inductance, and applied electrode voltage were studied over the range from 14 to 112 μF, 50 to 200 nH, and 1 to 3 kV, respectively.

LASER-BASED MEASUREMENTS OF OH, TEMPERATURE, AND WATER VAPOR CONCENTRATION IN A HYDROCARBON-FUELED SCRAMJET (POSTPRINT)

‡‡ In this investigation, two laser-based measurement techniques are implemented in a direct-connect hydrocarbon-fueled scramjet combustor. Planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) of the OH radical is used to examine the flame structure within the combustor. Tunable diode laser-based absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) is used to measure water vapor concentration and static temperature near the combustor exit. Combined with conventional measurements and Reynolds-averaged CFD simulations, these optical diagnostic techniques significantly enhance the information that is obtained from the scramjet combustor. In this study, wall pressure data show the combustor to be operating in dual-mode with two regions of elevated pressure corresponding to the primary and secondary flameholding zones. The OH radical is well-distributed across the combustor with high OH concentrations occurring along the body, side, and cowl walls. TDLAS measurements indicate non-uniform body-to- cowl profiles in both temperature and water concentration. Near-wall regions are found to be the hottest while the core region is cooler. Similarly, the highest concentrations of water vapor are found near the walls. In general, CFD results compare well with the experimental data, although there are dissimilarities that are probably related to turbulence and chemistry sub-models within the CFD code.

Diode Laser Sensor for Gas Temperature and H2O Concentration in a Scramjet Combustor Using Wavelength Modulation Spectroscopy

Abstract : A diode laser absorption sensor which probes three spectral features of water vapor in the near infrared region to infer gas temperature and water vapor concentration near the exit of a scramjet combustor is presented. Optical engineering is used to overcome beam steering and fiber mode noise sources. A method to make absolute measurements using wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) with second harmonic detection (2f) is described, along with the advantages of the technique over direct absorption spectroscopy. Measurements using both techniques in the scramjet combustor are compared to show superior noise rejection and overall signal to noise ratios with WMS-2f. Results of temperature and water vapor partial pressure under various scramjet operating conditions show the utility of the sensor for scramjet engine design and optimization.

Open-path dual-comb spectroscopy to an airborne retroreflector

We demonstrate a new technique for spatial mapping of multiple atmospheric gas species. This system is based on high-precision dual-comb spectroscopy to a retroreflector mounted on a flying multi-copter. We measure the atmospheric absorption over long open-air paths to the multi-copter with comb-tooth resolution over 1.57 to 1.66 pm, covering absorption bands of CO2, Cm, H2O and isotopologues. When combined with GPS-based path length measurements, a fit of the absorption spectra retrieves the dry mixing ratios versus position. Under well-mixed atmospheric conditions, retrievals from both horizontal and vertical paths show stable mixing ratios as expected. This approach can support future boundary layer studies as well as plume detection and source location.

A Thomson-type mass and energy spectrometer for characterizing ion energy distributions in a coaxial plasma gun operating in a gas-puff mode

Measurements of ion energy distribution are performed in the accelerated plasma of a coaxial electromagnetic plasma gun operating in a gas-puff mode at relatively low discharge energy (900 J) and discharge potential (4 kV). The measurements are made using a Thomson-type mass and energy spectrometer with a gated microchannel plate and phosphor screen as the ion sensor. The parabolic ion trajectories are captured from the sensor screen with an intensified charge-coupled detector camera. The spectrometer was designed and calibrated using the Geant4 toolkit, accounting for the effects on the ion trajectories of spatial non-uniformities in the spectrometer magnetic and electric fields. Results for hydrogen gas puffs indicate the existence of a class of accelerated protons with energies well above the coaxial discharge potential (up to 24 keV). The Thomson analyzer confirms the presence of impurities of copper and iron, also of relatively high energies, which are likely erosion or sputter products from plasma-electrode interactions.

Parameter Estimation for a Turbulent Buoyant Jet with Rotating Cylinder Using Approximate Bayesian Computation

Assigning accurate boundary, initial, and geometric conditions, as well as fluid properties, in numerical simulations of real-world applications continues to be a major challenge in computational fluid dynamics research. However, recent advances have provided new and increasingly sophisticated methods for accurately determining these conditions and properties. This paper focuses on a data-driven parameter estimation technique called Approximate Bayesian Computation (ABC), which allows numerical simulation parameters to be determined from experimental or other “truth” data. In this proof-of-concept study, the ABC approach is demonstrated for a rotating cylinder above a high-temperature turbulent buoyant jet, which is an engineering problem of relevance to the commercial aerospace industry. Here the “truth” observations come from a two-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) simulation that serves as a known test case against which other simulations are compared. In particular, the “truth” case has known jet inflow and cylinder rotational velocities, and we show that the ABC approach is able to correctly identify the true values of these parameters. This success indicates that ABC can be extended to real-world engineering systems and that, in the future, ABC will allow experimental observations to accurately drive the selection of boundary, initial, and geometric conditions, as well as fluid properties, in numerical simulations.