Influence of superequilibrium and metastable species on nonequilibrium plasma combustion kinetics

CBET-0755713 Lempert高压非平衡等离子体形成了许多实用技术的基础，包括等离子体电视显示器和其他照明光源、半导体制造工艺以及危险废物缓解工艺。 在过去的三到五年中，已经提出了非平衡等离子体在燃烧领域的新的潜在应用，包括减少污染物排放，提高效率的燃料合成，以及高速点火和火焰稳定的策略。 虽然已经观察到一系列与非平衡等离子体燃烧相关的现象，但由于该领域明显缺乏基本动力学数据，预测潜在新工艺和系统的有效性的能力已经滞后。 本研究是在极端热非平衡条件下，对等离子体中烃类氧化机理的综合实验/模拟研究。 将在短脉冲燃料-空气等离子体中产生重要的碳氢化合物燃烧中间体和电子激发的空气物种的大的高度非平衡池，该等离子体使用俄亥俄州州立大学提供的专门放电技术产生。 将使用先进的基于激光的光学诊断方法对临界物质的时间演化进行实验测量，然后与理论预测进行比较，以验证和改进基本的等离子体动力学模型。对社会的主要好处将是推进一种真正不同的点火方法，改善内燃机技术。 此外，实验和分析的结合为教学，学习和培训提供了极好的机会。由于这笔赠款，一个团队成员将纳入等离子体空气动力学，包括等离子体燃烧，到他的本科流体课程模块。

CBET-0755713LempertHigh-pressure non-equilibrium plasmas form the basis of many practical technologies including plasma television displays and other lighting sources, semiconductor manufacturing processes, and processes for hazardous waste mitigation. In the last three to five years, new potential applications have been proposed for non-equilibrium plasmas in the area of combustion, including strategies for reduction in pollutant emissions, improved-efficiency fuel synthesis, and high-speed ignition and flame holding. While an array of non-equilibrium plasma combustion-related phenomena have been observed, the ability to predict the effectiveness of potential new processes and systems has lagged due to a distinct lack of fundamental kinetic data in this field. This research is an integrated experimental / modeling study of hydrocarbon oxidation mechanisms in plasmas under conditions of extreme thermal non-equilibrium. Large, highly non-equilibrium pools of important hydrocarbon combustion intermediates and electronically excited air species will be created in a short pulsed fuel-air plasma, created using specialized discharge technology available at Ohio State University. The time evolution of critical species will be measured experimentally using advanced laser-based optical diagnostic methods and then compared to theoretical predictions in order to validate and improve fundamental plasma kinetic models. The major benefit to society will be to advance a truly different ignition methodology that improves combustion engine technology. Furthermore, the combination of experiment and analysis provides excellent opportunities for teaching, learning, and training. As a result of this grant, one team member will incorporate a module on plasma aerodynamics, including plasma combustion, into his undergraduate fluids curriculum.