Zhongshan Li

Laser-induced fluorescence of formaldehyde in combustion using third harmonic Nd : YAG laser excitation

Formaldehyde (CH2O) is an important intermediate species in combustion processes and it can through laser-induced fluorescence measurements be used for instantaneous flame front detection. The present study has focussed on the use of the third harmonic of a Nd:YAG laser at 355 nm as excitation wavelength for formaldehyde, and different dimethyl ether (C2H6O) flames were used as sources of formaldehyde in the experiments. The investigations included studies of the overlap between the laser profile and the absorption lines of formaldehyde, saturation effects and the potential occurrence of laser-induced photochemistry. The technique was applied for detection of formaldehyde in an internal combustion engine operated both as a spark ignition engine and as a homogenous charge compression ignition engine.

Dynamics, OH distributions and UV emission of a gliding arc at various flow-rates investigated by optical measurements

We demonstrate a plasma discharge which is generated between two diverging electrodes and extended into a gliding arc in non-equilibrium condition by an air flow at atmospheric pressure. Effects of the air flow rates on the dynamics, ground-state OH distributions and spectral characterization of UV emission of the gliding arc were investigated by optical methods. High-speed photography was utilized to reveal flow-rate dependent dynamics such as ignitions, propagation, short-cutting events, extinctions and conversions of the discharge from glowtype to spark-type. Short-cutting events and ignitions occur more frequently at higher flow rates. The anchor points of the gliding arc are mostly steady at the top of the electrodes at lower flow rates whereas at higher flow rates they glide up along the electrodes most of the time. The afterglow of fully developed gliding arcs is observed to decay over hundreds of microseconds after being electronically short-cut by a newly ignited arc. The extinction time decreases with the increase of the flow rate. The frequency of the conversion of a discharge from glow-type to spark-type increases with the flow rate. Additionally, spatial distributions of ground-state OH were investigated using planar laser-induced fluorescence. The results show that the shape, height, intensity and thickness of ground-state OH distribution vary significantly with air flow rates. Finally, UV emission of the gliding arc is measured using optical emission spectroscopy and it is found that the emission intensity of NO gamma (A-X), OH (A-X) and N-2 (C-B) increase with the flow rates showing more characteristics of spark-type arcs. The observed phenomena indicate the significance of the interaction between local turbulence and the gliding arc.

Sodium and Potassium Released from Burning Particles of Brown Coal and Pine Wood in a Laminar Premixed Methane Flame Using Quantitative Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy:

A quantitative point measurement of total sodium ([Na]total) and potassium ([K]total) in the plume of a burning particle of Australian Loy Yang brown coal (23 ± 3 mg) and of pine wood pellets (63 ± 3 mg) was performed using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) in a laminar premixed methane flame at equivalence ratios (Φ) of 1.149 and 1.336. Calibration was performed using atomic sodium or potassium generated by evaporation of droplets of sodium sulfite (Na2SO3) or potassium sulfate (K2SO4) solutions seeded into the flame. The calibration compensated for the absorption by atomic alkalis in the seeded flame, which is significant at high concentrations of solution. This allowed quantitative measurements of sodium (Na) and potassium (K) released into the flame during the three phases of combustion, namely devolatilization, char, and ash cooking. The [Na]total in the plume released from the combustion of pine wood pellets during the devolatilization was found to reach up to 13 ppm. The maximum concentration of total sodium ([Na]maxtotal) and potassium ([K]maxtotal) released during the char phase of burning coal particles for Φ = 1.149 was found to be 9.27 and 5.90 ppm, respectively. The [Na]maxtotal and [K]maxtotal released during the char phase of burning wood particles for Φ = 1.149 was found to be 15.1 and 45.3 ppm, respectively. For the case of Φ = 1.336, the [Na]maxtotal and [K]maxtotal were found to be 13.9 and 6.67 ppm during the char phase from burning coal particles, respectively, and 21.1 and 39.7 ppm, respectively, from burning wood particles. The concentration of alkali species was higher during the ash phase. The limit of detection (LOD) of sodium and potassium with LIBS in the present arrangement was estimated to be 29 and 72 ppb, respectively.

Applications of a single-longitudinal-mode alexandrite laser for diagnostics of parameters of combustion interest

We report on the applications of a single-longitudinal-mode (SLM) pulsed alexandrite laser system for diagnostics of parameters of flow/combustion interest. The laser system is characterized by its narrow linewidth, high peak power, and broad tunablity. The absolute frequency of the laser output was monitored by a wavelength diagnostic system, which included a high-resolution confocal etalon and a molecular iodine laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection system. Different nonlinear frequency conversion schemes were used to cover a large frequency range from the infrared to the deep UV. The versatility of the laser system for flow/combustion diagnostics is demonstrated in three applications, namely filtered Rayleigh scattering, high-resolution Doppler-free two-photon LIF of CO, and infrared LIF and polarization spectroscopy of CO2. The potential impacts of using this SLM laser system in laser flow/combustion diagnostic applications are discussed.

Midinfrared polarization spectroscopy of OH and hot water in low pressure lean premixed flames

The application of midinfrared polarization spectroscopy (mid-IRPS) is demonstrated for sensitive detection of minor molecular species in combustion environments by probing rovibrational transitions. High resolution mid-IRPS spectra of low pressure flames were obtained in the spectral range around 3 microm. Rotational lines of the fundamental vibrational band of the hydroxyl radical (OH) were fully resolved and properly assigned among the abundant hot water lines in the flame mid-IRPS spectra. The high signal-to-noise ratio of the recorded OH lines indicates the feasibility of sensitive mid-IRPS OH detection. This constitutes, to the best of our knowledge, the first reported OH flame detection in the midinfrared spectral range. A simulation of hot water mid-IRPS lines with molecular parameters extracted from the HITRAN/HITEMP database was performed and compared with the observed flame spectra. The proper prediction of the hot water lines may help to clarify the potential spectral interferences associated with minor species measurements.

An in situ set up for the detection of CO(2) from catalytic CO oxidation by using planar laser-induced fluorescence.

We report the first experiment carried out on an in situ setup, which allows for detection of CO(2) from catalytic CO oxidation close to a model catalyst under realistic reaction conditions by the means of planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) in the mid-infrared spectral range. The onset of the catalytic reaction as a function of temperature was followed by PLIF in a steady state flow reactor. After taking into account the self-absorption of CO(2), a good agreement between the detected CO(2) fluorescence signal and the CO(2) mass spectrometry signal was shown. The observed difference to previously measured onset temperatures for the catalytic ignition is discussed and the potential impact of IR-PLIF as a detection technique in catalysis is outlined.

Water-cooled non-thermal gliding arc for adhesion improvement of glass-fibre-reinforced polyester

A non-equilibrium quenched plasma is prepared using a gliding-arc discharge generated between diverging electrodes and extended by a gas flow. It can be operated at atmospheric pressure and applied to plasma surface treatment to improve adhesion properties of material surfaces. In this work, glass-fibre-reinforced polyester plates were treated using an atmospheric pressure gliding-arc discharge with air flow to improve adhesion with a vinylester adhesive. The electrodes were water-cooled so as to operate the gliding arc continually. The treatment improved wettability and increased the density of oxygen-containing polar functional groups on the surfaces. Double cantilever beam specimens were prepared for fracture mechanic characterization of the laminate adhesive interface. It was found that gliding-arc treatment significantly increases the fracture resistance in comparison with a standard peel-ply treatment.

Application of two-photon laser-induced fluorescence for single-shot visualization of carbon monoxide in a spark ignited engine

Carbon monoxide detection through the use of two-photon laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) has been investigated for engine diagnostics applications. Two-dimensional single-shot LIF imaging of CO was achieved in a spark ignited (SI) engine. The interference from C2 and photolysis of hot CO2 was found to be negligible through the spectrally and spatially resolved measurements.

Low-noise mid-IR upconversion detector for improved IR-degenerate four-wave mixing gas sensing.

We compare a nonlinear upconversion detector with a conventional cryogenic InSb detector for the detection of coherent infrared light showing near-shot-noise-limited performance in the upconversion system. The InSb detector is limited by dark noise, which results in a 500 times lower signal-to-noise ratio. The two detectors are compared for the detection of a coherent degenerate four-wave mixing (DFWM) signal in the mid-infrared, and applied to measure trace-level acetylene in a gas flow at atmospheric pressure, probing its fundamental rovibrational transitions. In addition to lower noise, the upconversion system provides image information of the signal, thus adding new functionality compared to standard point detection methods. We further show that the upconversion detector system can be implemented as a simple replacement of the cryogenic detector.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in gases using ungated detection in combination with polarization filtering and online background correction

Quantitative and fast analysis of gas mixtures is an important task in the field of chemical, security and environmental analysis. In this paper we present a diagnostic approach based on laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS). A polarization filter in the signal collection system enables sufficient suppression of elastically scattered light which otherwise reduces the dynamic range of the measurement. Running the detector with a doubled repetition rate as compared to the laser online background correction is obtained. Quantitative measurements of molecular air components in synthetic, ambient and expiration air are performed and demonstrate the potential of the method. The detection limits for elemental oxygen and hydrogen are in the order of 15 ppm and 10 ppm, respectively.