Mechanisms of the IR laser initiation of combustion in a supersonic H2/O3/O2 flow

Abstract

The ignition of a supersonic H2/O3/O2 flow by the λI = 9.7 μm laser excitation of asymmetric vibrations in O3 molecules is considered. The O3 molecules vibrationally excited by laser radiation dissociate more readily to generate active O atoms, thus accelerating the ignition/combustion process. Even at a low input of radiation energy (∼7 × 10−4 J/cm3), combustion in the supersonic flow can be initiated at a short distance (<1 m) from the irradiation zone and at a low gas temperature (∼300 K).