Soot Distribution Research Articles

Soot Measurements and a Simplified Analytical Formulation-Based Modeling in Laminar Counterflow Diffusion Flames

ABSTRACT The paper presents soot volume fraction measurements and a simplified soot formation model. Soot formation is a complex physicochemical process predominantly modeled using detailed chemistry and stochastic methods. The current work presents a simplified analytical function-based approach to calculate the net soot formation rate by coupling the local mixture-fraction and temperature fields. The validation experiments were carried out in a unique large-diameter (40 mm) counterflow burner for ethylene-air flames at various strain rates and normalized separation (L/D) distances. The soot volume fractions (fv) were determined using Laser Induced Incandescence (LII) technique calibrated by the Light Extinction (LE) method. Further model validations were carried out against the experimental measurements in the literature. The modeling work was performed on OpenFOAM®. The model predicted soot distributions for various peak flame temperatures, stoichiometric mixture-fractions, burner dimensions, fuel-oxidizer compositions, and strain rates with good accuracy. The study underscores the importance of considering two soot formation rate peaks, one at high temperature and one at low temperature, for accurate predictions, unlike a single peak employed in common analytical models. Furthermore, the effect of velocity boundary conditions on soot zone locations and the significance of providing realistic velocity conditions for the simulations are also discussed. Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed to determine the actual nozzle-exit velocity profiles.

An experimental study on in-cylinder soot formation and flame oscillation of renewable fuel blends in an optical engine

Methanol has been widely recognized as a promising alternative fuel for mitigating greenhouse gas emissions. However, its application in internal combustion engines often necessitates blending with a high-reactivity fuel to address challenges related to ignitability and combustion stability. In this study, a two-color method was employed in a single-cylinder optical engine to investigate the characteristics of soot formation and flame oscillation of methanol blended with a high-reactivity fuel, hydrogenated catalytic biodiesel (HCB), under partially premixed combustion (PPC) modes. The blended fuels include M15 (15% methanol, 60% HCB, and 25% n-octanol) and M25 (25% methanol, 60% HCB, and 25% n-octanol), with pure hydrogenated catalytic biodiesel M0 (100% HCB) serving as the reference fuel. N-octanol was utilized as the co-solvent to enhance the stability of the mixture. The results indicate that, employing double-injection strategies, as the methanol content increases in the blended composition, leading to a postponed peak cylinder pressure and heat release rate during combustion. Thanks to the high-level premixed combustion and higher oxygen content, the increases of alcohol blending significantly reduced in-cylinder soot formation. Double-injection strategies reduced soot production effectively and resulted in a more uniform soot distribution compared to single-injection strategies. In terms of flame oscillation, its amplitude primarily correlates with the rate of cylinder pressure rise, while the methanol content within the blends exerts a minor impact on flame oscillation. Double-injection strategies contributes to a more uniform fuel distribution, ensuring a smoother heat release process and significantly reducing flame oscillation amplitudes compared to single-injection strategies.

Planar laser-induced incandescence for the study of soot production in a multi-sector RQL Jet A combustor

Understanding the production of non-volatile particulate matter (nvPM), which is composed primarily of soot, is critical not only for reducing emissions but also for improving engine performance. While there has been significant prior work studying the fundamentals of soot formation, there is significantly less work that investigates soot formation with realistic aeroengine geometries, injectors, and fuels in high pressure conditions. In this work, soot production in a three-sector rich-quench-lean (RQL) aeroengine combustor is studied with Jet A fuel. Global equivalence ratios ranging of 0.10 to 0.20 and pressures ranging from 2.7 to 6.9 bar absolute (40 to 100 psia) are tested. In order to characterize in-situ soot production near the fuel injectors, two-dimensional laser-induced incandescence is utilized to estimate single-shot and average soot volume fractions. Time-resolved laser-induced incandescence is then used to create single camera and single laser-shot incandescence decay time images in order to infer how soot particle sizes evolve. Results show a significant increase in soot production at higher global equivalence ratios and higher pressures. Incandescence decay times, however, do not change significantly over the same range of conditions. These measurements can not only help understand soot distributions in practical RQL systems but also help improve future aeroengine combustor designs.

ЕЛЕКТРОФІЗИЧНІ ПРОЦЕСИ У КОМПОЗИТНИХ НАПІВПРОВІДНИХ ЕКРАНАХ ТА ЇХНІЙ ВПЛИВ НА ДІЕЛЕКТРИЧНІ ПАРАМЕТРИ СИЛОВИХ ВИСОКОВОЛЬТНИХ КАБЕЛІВ

The methodology for modelling the percolation process in semiconductor shields of power high-voltage cables is proposed. The semiconductor screen is represented by a two-dimensional lattice model with a polymer matrix filled with conductive carbon black particles. Model matrix's of the composite, depending on the probability of filling and the concentration of the conductive filler, agree with micrographs of the distribution of soot in the polyethylene matrix of the semiconducting screen of the power cable. Taking into account the stochastic of the percolation process, the concentration range of the conductive filler, which determines the flow threshold in the presented model, was determined. Disturbances are observed on the experimental time dependence of the absorption current of the power cable, which is indirect evidence of the accumulation of surface charges at the interface between the semiconductor screen and high-voltage polymer insulation. The time dependences of the electric capacity and the tangent of the dielectric loss angle at a frequency of 120 Hz confirm the stochastic nature of the process of accumulation of surface charges. This process causes a time-delayed interphase polarization in power high-voltage cables. References 36, figure 5.

Experimental and numerical studies of the evaporation and combustion characteristics of large-angle impinging sprays

To achieve a large fuel injection mass per cycle, using one injector will need a large nozzle, which may lead to combustion deterioration in high power density (HPD) engines. Therefore, two-injector method was adopted and then impinging sprays by two injectors were developed to promote the air/fuel mixing and combustion performance. This study investigated the spray, evaporation, ignition and soot emission characteristics of twin injectors at different impinging angles (90°, 120°, 150°, and 180°) using various high-speed imaging techniques in a constant volume chamber. Further, CFD simulations were performed to analyze the impinging sprays under HPD condition. Innovatively, a kinetic energy loss model for impinging sprays was proposed to quantify the effect of spray impingement. The results showed that the turbulent kinetic energy increased with the impinging angle, and the kinetic energy loss at any angle could be predicted by the kinetic energy loss of 180° impinging spray. The kinetic energy loss model better characterized the spray impingement process, and then more accurately predicted the atomization quality and mixing capacity compared with spray volume. Spray impingement changed fuel and soot distributions, the peak soot mass decreased with the impinging angle, which was reduced by 36.8 %, 39.8 %, 44.4 % and 45.9 % at 90 ∼ 180° impinging sprays, respectively, comparing to the single spray. These findings recommended that using a large impinging spray angle in real HPD engines can promote spray atomization and reduce soot formation.

On the intricacies of soot volume fraction measurements in counterflow diffusion flames with light extinction: Effects of curtain flow

Counterflow diffusion flame is an attractive platform for fundamental research on kinetics of soot formation. Accurate determination of soot volume fraction in the flame is a prerequisite for in-depth analysis of the sooting characteristics and assessment of predictive soot models. Light extinction has been proven to be an efficient technique for measuring soot volume fraction thanks to its non-intrusiveness and its simple optical setup. Nevertheless, tomographic inversion needs to be performed if spatially resolved soot volume fraction is to be obtained from the measured light extinction data which is essentially a projection along the line-of-sight. In this regard, radial distribution of soot volume fraction would affect the accuracy of the measurement through its influences on the inversion processes. In this work, we show that the curtain flow, which is necessary to avoid the formation of the undesired secondary diffusion flame and to keep the core counterflow from ambient disturbances, has notable effects on spatially resolved soot volume fraction measurements with line-of-sight measurements. In particular, different flow rate settings of the curtain flow can result in different soot distributions at the edges of soot fields: upwards curved, outwards extended, and downwards curved, which may influence the measurement of centerline soot volume fraction distribution. The necessity of tomographic inversion, the minimal region of the projection image necessary for tomographic inversion (when necessary), the quasi-one-dimensional feature of soot distribution, and the sensitivity of measurement to slight flame asymmetry were investigated where possible to determine the most suitable curtain flow configuration for soot volume fraction measurements by light extinction. Recommendations on curtain flow setting are finally made.

An optical soot sizing method without prior morphology parameters

Great concern has been focused on the particle size distribution (PSD) of soot as a crucial factor of the physical and chemical properties. Optical methods are widely used to analyze the PSD of soot due to their non-invasive and real-time measurement, where the morphology parameters are essential for retrieving the PSD from optical signals. However, these parameters are difficult to obtain in field measurement. In this work, we propose a new PSD sensing method for soot without prior knowledge of the morphology parameters based on the light-scattering angular spectrum using a hybrid inverse algorithm. The light scattering angular spectrum is the intensity distribution of scattering light at different observation angles for simultaneously characterizing the PSD and the morphological parameters, which are decoupled by a hybrid inverse algorithm consisting of Tikhonov regularization and adaptive weighted particle swarm optimization (AW-PSO). A compacted and lens-free prototype sensor is designed to verify our method. The calibration experiments by spherical aerosols show that our prototype sensor provides high-precision light scattering angular spectrum measurement with maximum relative error (RE) of 14.78 %. In the tests of soot, the maximum Kullback-Leibler Divergence (DKL) of PSD is 0.28 in comparison with the reference volume equivalent PSD. The sensing method proposed in this paper provides volume equivalent PSD measurement for soot without requirement of the morphology parameters, and our prototype sensor shows great potential for soot and other non-spherical aerosol analysis in routine field measurements outside the laboratory.

A conceptual model of polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether 3 (PODE3) spray combustion under compression ignition engine-like conditions

As one of the most popular synthetic fuels (E-fuels), Polyoxymethylene dimethyl ethers(PODEX) have garnered significant attention among researchers in the compression ignition engine field. This work aims to provide an exhaustive analysis of the combustion characteristics of PODE3, which typically constitutes the primary component of PODEX. This research seeks to deepen our understanding of the flame structure of PODE3, particularly in relation to ambient temperature variation, and unravel the underlying mechanisms driving the observed trends. To achieve this aim, a range of optical techniques was employed within a high-temperature high-pressure combustion vessel to quantify various general combustion parameters and assess OH* chemiluminescence, formaldehyde, and soot distribution. Two additional reference fuels, pure n-dodecane and a blend of 50 % vol n-dodecane and 50 % vol PODE3 were also tested. Additionally, some analysis from chemical kinetics and 1D spray model calculations were used to substantiate the experimental observations. The findings reveal that the flame structure of PODE3 differs significantly from traditional diffusion flames associated with diesel-like sprays. The flame lift-off length (LOL) of PODE3 aligns closely with that of n-dodecane, and maintains the two-lobe structure under high-temperature conditions. In contrast, under low ambient temperatures, the LOL of PODE3 significantly extends, accompanied by a concentration of OH* radicals at the spray center. The notable sensitivity of PODE3 flames to temperature variation is related to the chemical kinetics of formaldehyde and CO. As a result of the analysis, conceptual models of PODE3 flames under varying temperatures were proposed in the end.

Experimental and numerical research on the effects of pressure and CO2 dilution on soot formation in laminar co-flow methane/air diffusion flames.

An experimental and numerical investigation was conducted to examine the formation of soot in methane/air laminar diffusion flames under varying CO2 dilution ratios, ranging from 0% to 40%, and pressures between 5 and 10 atm. The experimental methodology incorporated diffuse-light two-dimensional line-of-sight attenuation (diffuse 2D-LOSA) to ascertain the volume fraction and peak temperature distribution of soot within the flames. For the numerical methodology, CoFlame-an open-source computational code-was utilized to calculate the detailed flame temperature, soot volume fraction, and the mole fractions of key intermediate species pivotal to soot generation. The study reveals that an increased dilution ratio of CO2 can reduce flame temperature and the molar fraction of hydrogen (H), while simultaneously increasing the molar fraction of hydroxyl (OH). This shift in chemical composition results in a reduced rate of soot nucleation and an intensified oxidation process during the later stages of soot development, thereby diminishing the overall soot volume fraction. An increase in pressure significantly boosts the processes of soot nucleation, HACA surface growth, and PAH condensation, thereby promoting the formation of soot. Elevated pressure corresponds to an increase in flame temperature and a narrower soot formation region. Additionally, the inhibitory effect of CO2 dilution on soot formation is mitigated under increased pressure. The findings from this research are expected to provide valuable insights and strategic guidance for the management and control of pollutants in the context of hydrocarbon fuel combustion, particularly when CO2 dilution is employed.

Reconstructing soot fields in acoustically forced laminar sooting flames using physics-informed machine learning models

This work reports an application of physics-informed machine learning models on reconstructing key parameters of acoustically forced, time-varying laminar sooting flames, highlighting the potential of the machine learning methods as a complementary tool to conventional laser diagnostics. First, a physics-informed neural networks (PINNs) model was developed to reconstruct the fields of velocity and temperature in the region where is inaccessible with laser-based diagnosing methods due to soot scattering. The PINNs model was trained using experimental data from planar laser diagnostics and constrained with the momentum and energy conservations. The model shows effective capability of fulfilling the velocity and temperature fields. Second, an Autoencoder (AE)-based Deep Operator Network (DeepONet), also as a physics-informed model, was developed to predict the planar distribution of soot volume fraction in the flames. The AE-DeepONet framework was trained using planar images of temperature and hydroxyl radical (OH) with a hybrid way by combining physics-informed and data-driven approaches. The AE-DeepONet model outperforms the conventional data-driven-only machine learning models. The results show that, constrained by physical laws, machine learning based models can properly predict soot distribution, velocity and temperature in unsteady laminar flames, shedding light on the physics-informed machine learning methods as a complement to laser diagnostics.

Assessing PAHs-based soot inception models in various laminar non-premixed flame configurations

Accurate soot modeling is challenging due to the complex underlying physical and chemical processes. To improve the fidelity of the soot prediction in inverse coflow flame configurations, an empirical reactive soot inception model with radical involvement was developed in our previous work [Guo et al. Combust Flame 254 (2023) 112,853]. In this study, the model is further assessed by comparing the predictions of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and soot parameters, including volume fraction, number density, and particle size, with measurements in various laminar diffusion flame configurations. These configurations encompass counterflow diffusion flames (CDF), normal coflow diffusion flames (NDF), and inverse coflow diffusion flames (IDF). The empirical reactive inception model is also compared to the reported irreversible and reversible inception models. The results show that the empirical reactive inception model with radical involvement most accurately capture axial soot behavior in IDF configuration, while irreversible and reversible models predict a sustained increase in soot mass, inconsistent with measurements. In CDF configurations, the empirical reactive model and the reported reversible model have better performance than the irreversible inception model, regarding the predictions of spatial distributions of soot and PAHs. Moreover, in NDF configuration, the soot peaks predicted by the reactive and reversible models are in reasonable agreement with measurements within a factor of 2–3. For the soot spatial distribution in NDF, the difference in the predictions is mainly reflected in the flame wings, which is caused by the temperature dependences of the inception rate provided by the different models.

LES of a pressurized sooting aero-engine model burner using a computationally efficient discrete sectional method coupled to tabulated chemistry

This work is focused on the modeling and analysis of soot formation and oxidation in the pressurized ethylene-based model burner investigated at DLR. This burner features a dual swirler configuration for the primary air supply and includes secondary dilution jets inside the combustion chamber, showing reacting flow characteristics representative of the RQL combustor technology. Large-eddy simulations (LES) of the DLR burner are conduced here to assess a coupling approach between flamelet generated manifold (FGM) chemistry and discrete sectional method (DSM) based soot model with clustering method. First, a validation of the numerical results is conducted for the gas velocity and temperature fields, and good agreement is obtained for both mean and fluctuating quantities. The Soot Volume Fraction (SVF) computed from LES shows a satisfactory agreement with the experimental data in both SVF distribution and magnitude. The analysis also includes a numerical investigation of the soot production and the Particle Size Distributions (PSD). Finally, the configuration without secondary air is evaluated and an accurate prediction of the SVF field is also obtained. In this case, the absence of dilution air strongly influences the central region of the combustion chamber, and soot distribution and PSD are mainly affected by transport and dilution, not oxidation. It is finally concluded the proposed modeling framework is capable of predicting the soot field and particle size distributions inside the combustor for both operating conditions.

Optical diagnostics of premixed energy ratio effects on RCCI combustion and soot formation characteristics under low load conditions

The study aims to explore the feasibility of using alternative fuels to achieve a high premixed energy ratio in reactivity-controlled compression ignition (RCCI) engine and reduce combustion difficulties at low loads. Specifically, the effects of premixed energy ratios (70%, 80%, and 90%) on combustion and soot formation characteristics were studied using ethanol-gasoline fuel blend (E10) and hydrogenated catalytic biodiesel (HCB) fuels in an optical engine under light load conditions. To investigate the flame characteristics and soot distributions, natural flame luminosity and two-color methods by wavelength integration were employed. The experimental results demonstrate that the RCCI engine, when fueled with E10 and HCB, achieved reliable ignition under the given test conditions. The study revealed that an increase in the premixed energy ratio results in a longer ignition delay, lower in-cylinder pressure, and heat release rate. This promotes a more homogeneous combustion process, which in turn leads to a slower combustion rate. Additionally, chemiluminescence imaging revealed that variations in the premixed energy ratio had a significant impact on the generation of flame kernels, the properties of flame propagation, and the evolution and distribution of soot. The areas where flame kernels are generated gradually shifted from the near-wall region towards the spray region. The premixed flame front transitioned from propagating from the near-wall region towards the center to propagating outward along the spray direction. Increasing the premixed energy from 70% to 90% significantly reduced the high-temperature and soot concentration regions, particularly at the intersection of the flame fronts, resulting in a significant decrease in the integrated KL factor by 75.69% and 96.41%, respectively. Based on an analysis of combustion and soot formation characteristics, a higher premixed ratio (90%) results in a more favorable flame propagation, cleaner combustion process, and a higher IMEP at low load conditions. These findings offer valuable insights for optimizing RCCI combustion, aiming to enhance engine performance under low load conditions with higher premixed energy ratios.

Study on the application of laser diagnosis technology in the rapid real time measurement of soot

Based on previous soot studies, this paper proposes a new method to quantify the evolution of the soot generation mechanism in flames. The soot distribution in inverse diffusion flame at different fuel gas velocities was quantitatively measured by laser-induced incandescent (LII) technique, and the soot structure evolution was analyzed by Raman spectroscopy and field emission transmission electron microscopy (FETEM). Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and numerical simulation were used to investigate the association between the intensity ratio of hydrocarbon atoms of at different positions of the flame and soot formation. Meanwhile, a detailed chemical kinetic simulation of the formation process of soot was carried out, and the flame structure was divided in more detail. The flame state in different regions and the key reactions of soot formation were analyzed. The results presented that the volume fraction of soot measured by LII is consistent with the height-dependent graphitization of the flame and is identical to the yellow definition of the flame. The variation of the C/H atomic intensity ratio reflected the soot formation in flame. The CH intensity ratio in the flame axial direction showed a bimodal distribution, corresponding to the blue phase of soot precursor formation and the yellow phase of soot formation, respectively. In addition, the CH atomic intensity ratio and the CH atomic molar ratio showed a parabolic transition from incipient to mature soot in the soot production region. The CH intensity ratios at different heights are linear in the radial direction, and the main core region of soot production can be obtained when the CH intensity ratio is 0.10 ∼ –0.13. With radial distance increases, it is clear results that the most sensitive reaction of (precursor) A1 changes from C6H5OH + H = A1 + OH to C2H3 + HCO=C3H3 + OH. It reveals that with the increase of yellow light, the soot structure along the flame center line is gradually graphitized, and the graphitization degree is the highest at the axial height of 18.0De ∼ 22.4De. This is consistent with the distribution of CH atomic intensity ratio. The present results demonstrate that LIBS can quickly achieve the initial measurement of soot and provide a new method for the study of flame soot during its evolution.

Optical characterization of ethanol spray flame on a constant volume combustion chamber

Studying pure ethanol spray flame has the potential to achieve the carbon neutrality vision. This paper studies the effects of fuel injection masses (12, 24, 36 mg) and fuel injection pressures (30, 40, 50 MPa) on ethanol spray flame on an optically visualized constant volume combustion chamber. Further compared with the spray flame of methanol and n-butanol. The combustion characteristics and flame development process were revealed by flame self-illumination high-speed imaging method, and the soot distribution was revealed by wavelength integration two-color method. Results show that ethanol spray flame presents an unstable yellow flame with many wrinkles. Small injection masses exist a partial flame-quenching phenomenon. As injection mass increases, the soot lift-off length decreases, and the flame brightness, soot concentration, and ignition delay increase. The high soot concentration areas locate upstream of the flame, and there is almost no soot downstream. Increased injection pressure increases the soot lift-off length and decreases the flame brightness. The ignition delay is shortened from 8.388 ms to 6.955 ms when injection pressure increases from 30 MPa to 40 MPa. But higher injection pressure has a negligible effect on reducing ignition delay. Finally, an ethanol spray combustion conceptual model is proposed. This paper gives particular guiding significance to the future use of carbon-neutral ethanol in diesel engines.

Assessment of Semi-Empirical Soot Modelling in Turbulent Buoyant Pool Fires from Various Fuels

The objective of this work is to assess the accuracy and limitations of two different semi-empirical soot models: the Laminar Smoke Point (LSP) and soot-yield approach. A global soot formation model based on the LSP concept is embedded within FDS6.7. Quantitative comparisons were made from turbulent buoyant pool fires between several computational results and well-instrumented experimental databases on the soot volume fraction, mass loss rate, heat release rate and gas temperature. The LSP model in combination with soot oxidation and surface growth is validated for most of the methane, ethylene and heptane turbulent buoyant pool fires, covering a wide range of fuel likely to form soot. This paper aims to broaden the scope of the validation of the available semi-empirical soot modelling. For the porous methane and ethylene burner, the LSP model was found to provide a better description of the soot volume fraction. The overall visual soot distribution is also numerically reproduced with the soot-yield approach, but as expected, there are some differences between the prediction and the measurement regarding the magnitude of soot volume fraction. The computed radiant heat flux was compared with experimental data for heptane flame, showing that predictions using both the LSP and soot-yield models were found to be twice the value of experimental data, although the measured HRR (Heat Release Rate) is reliably reproduced in the numerical simulation. For the heptane buoyant pool fires, a sufficient accuracy of the numerical model is confirmed only in some of the locations as compared to the experimental results. It is demonstrated that neither the temperature nor the soot volume fraction can be reliably calculated in the necking flame flapping region when the pyrolysis rate of condensed fuel (heptane) is coupled with radiation/convection heat feedback. This implies that an accuracy of prediction on the turbulent buoyant pool fires depends on the studied fire scenario regardless of the semi-empirical soot models.

Axis-symmetric diesel spray flame model coupled with momentum flux distribution measurement and improved soot phi-T map

An axis-symmetrical diesel spray flame model coupled with momentum flux distribution measurement was developed as a tool for nozzle orifice development. Momentum flux distributions at several distances from the nozzle orifice exit are measured by a force sensor with a small-diameter aperture which traverses a cross-section. A theoretical momentum flux profile is determined by fitting with the measured momentum flux profile at the cross-section. The spray velocity profile and equivalence ratio profiles are quantified from the theoretical momentum flux profile. By interpolating the profiles of the measured cross-sections, the axis-symmetrical diesel spray flame model can calculate the equivalence ratio and other physical values as a function of the distance from the nozzle exit ( x) and the radius from the spray axis ( r). The equivalence ratio distribution in a cross-section involving the spray axis is converted into soot formation and oxidation distribution by coupling with the improved soot ϕ -T map. The conventional soot-NOx ϕ -T map did not show the borderline between the soot formation and oxidation. To quantify the residence time of the fuel element during soot formation, the narrow soot peninsula was expanded up to its maximum by replacing the soot yield with the soot particle diameter. Instead of contour lines for the of NO mole fraction, contour lines for the OH mole fraction were implemented to reveal the border between soot formation and soot oxidation on the ϕ -T map. The borderline appears clearly, consisting of a horizontal line in the lower-temperature region and a rising line in the higher-temperature region. The converted soot formation and oxidation regions in the axis-symmetric spray flame model exhibit a strong correlation with the measured soot distributions in a quasi-steady diesel spray flame. The shear-stress, which induces turbulence affecting soot formation/oxidation, is also quantified from the velocity distribution.

Simulation Investigation on the Effects of EGR Ratio and Nozzle Angle on In-Cylinder Combustion and Pollutant Generation of PODE/Methanol Blends

ABSTRACT In order to explore effects of coal-based oxygenated fuels polyoxymethylene dimethyl ether (PODE) and methanol on pollutant emissions of diesel engines, in-cylinder combustion numerical model was developed by coupling PODE/methanol reaction mechanism with CONVERGE software. The influences of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and nozzle angle on in-cylinder combustion and pollutant generation of PODE/methanol blends were studied. Results show that with the increase of EGR ratio, the fuel-air equivalence ratio increases, the in-cylinder pressure decreases, and the ignition delay period is prolonged. The generation range and rate of NOx gradually decrease, and the final NOx generation decreases by 85.1% at EGR = 20%. However, the peak soot generation rate and the final soot generation increase. With the increase of nozzle angle, the peak in-cylinder pressure and the overall heat release rate increase. When the nozzle angle is adjusted from 148° to 164°, the rich area of fuel-air equivalent ratio in the piston pit decreases, the high temperature area in the piston pit almost disappears. The final in-cylinder NOx generation has been reduced by 29.3%. The soot distribution gradually moves to the upper layer of combustion chamber, and the peak soot generation rate decreases, while the final soot generation increases by almost 49.5%.

Simultaneous application of soot and temperature measurements in a pressurized turbulent flame by laser-induced incandescence and coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering for particle sizing

Simultaneous application of multi-channel laser-induced incandescence (LII) and shifted vibrational coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (SV-CARS) to study sooting flames is demonstrated for the first time. The potential of this diagnostics combination is evaluated on the basis of characterization of soot particles and correlation of soot presence with temperature. For that purpose, a sooting swirl flame operated at three bars has been employed with ethylene as fuel. The novel combination of CARS and time-resolved LII (TiRe LII) enables the estimation of particle size and correlation of this quantity with local gas temperature; simultaneously acquired 2D LII images provide information on the soot distribution in the ambience of the measurement volume which is used by CARS and TiRe LII. Even if the used LII model is approximative in some respect, the detected LII decay times indicate very small particle size throughout the flame relative to an atmospheric laminar diffusion flame which was used for comparison. In most instances, soot presence relates to local gas temperatures in a range between 1600 and 2400 K. Rare soot events at cooler temperatures occur near the nozzle exit and are attributed to transported soot. Comparison of the peak soot temperatures during the LII process shows a significant decrease in the turbulent pressurized flame relative to the laminar atmospheric reference flame. This is attributed to a less-efficient LII heat-up process at turbulent pressurized conditions due to beam steering. The background blackbody temperature, which can be derived by evaluating the signal captured in the different color channels of the LII system towards the end of the LII process, has been identified to be mostly controlled by hotter soot filaments between the laser plane and the detector. Thus, the LII signal tail is not a good measure of the local gas temperature in the measurement volume for this type of configuration.

Fire Dynamics Simulator Analysis of Smoke Confinement and Radiation Shielding using Water Mist Curtains

This research was conducted to numerically analyze the smoke confinement and radiation shielding characteristics of water mist curtains during the process of plume flow that propagates along the ceiling after its occurrence in fire source. We reviewed the flow field based on the location of the spray, size of water mist droplets, temperature distribution, and soot distribution. The optical density extracted at a height of 1.5 m and the thermal radiation attenuation rate values were comparatively analyzed. In the case of no water-mist operation, the temperature and soot concentration were stable as they formed a layer toward the floor from the ceiling. By contrast, when the water mist curtain was operational, the spray flow obstructed the ceiling jet flow and caused considerable mixing. The results from reviewing the optical density predictions showed that it tended to decrease at a distance sufficiently far downstream of the curtain, but overall the effect was not meaningful compared to the case of no water-mist operation. This was considered to be because a considerable number of fine droplets, as well as soot particles included in the smoke, affected the optical density. Conversely, the attenuation rate of thermal radiation was greatly affected by the average size of the droplets. In the case when the location of the water mist curtain was x<sub>inj</sub> = 6 m, the thermal radiation attenuation rate at the lowermost part changed from 79.0%, 29.7%, and 17.0% as the average spray droplet size increased from 200, 500, and 1,000 <i>μ</i>m., respectively.