Plasma-Enhanced Combustion of Hydrocarbon Fuels and Fluel Blends Using Nanosecond Pulsed Discharges

项目名称：利用纳秒脉冲放电等离子体增强碳氢化合物燃料和混合燃料的燃烧项目负责人：Cappelli， Mark A.机构：斯坦福大学项目编号：CBET-0853471新型复杂燃料（如生物燃料、低等级燃料和混合燃料）的燃烧对可靠的点火和火焰稳定性提出了新的要求，以实现安全、清洁、高效的运行。本研究旨在探索一种新的方法，即利用脉冲纳秒等离子体放电在广泛的操作条件下点燃和维持这些复杂燃料的燃烧。纳秒脉冲放电有效地将电能转化为化学势能，而不会浪费能量来加热气体。这种化学位能应能使燃烧在其他情况下根本不会发生的情况下有效燃烧。这项研究必须结合等离子体物理学、燃烧化学和流体力学。具体来说，将研究三种经典燃烧结构的基本现象：扩散火焰、预混火焰和复杂火焰（例如，具有显著旋转和/或流动再循环的火焰）。对于扩散火焰，在共流和横流条件下，研究了基于等离子体的非预混射流火焰持火策略。对预混火焰的研究将集中在新型放电增强扩展的贫可燃性极限上。复杂火焰的研究涉及在强对流再循环条件下等离子体增强持续燃烧，其中混合程度强烈依赖于施加的流场。目的是了解一系列燃料类型（纯燃料，燃料混合物，含氮燃料混合物）的过程，而不是特定于特定的燃烧器，而是使其适用于非常广泛的燃烧过程。这项研究将有助于建立一个连接燃烧和等离子体系统的基础知识库，最终将促进国家对清洁、安全能源的需求。它还将在这个多学科领域教育研究生、本科生和高中生，结合电子学、光谱学、高功率激光、流体和等离子体科学以及燃烧等方面。

AWARD Public Abstract Proposal Title: Plasma-Enhanced Combustion of Hydrocarbon Fuels and Fuel Blends Using Nanosecond Pulsed DischargesPrincipal Investigator: Cappelli, Mark A. Institution: Stanford University Proposal No: CBET-0853471 Combustion of new, complex fuels such as bio-fuels, low-grade fuels, and fuel blends places new demand on reliable ignition and flame stability for safe, clean, efficient operation. This research with characterize and seek to understand a new approach using pulsed nanosecond plasma discharges to ignite and sustain combustion of these complex fuels over a broad range of operating conditions. Nanosecond pulsed discharges efficiently transfer electrical energy into chemical potential energy, without energy wasted to thermal heating of the gases. This chemical potential energy should lead to effective combustion under conditions where combustion might otherwise not take place at all.The research necessarily brings together plasma physics, combustion chemistry, and fluid mechanics. Specifically, the fundamental phenomena will be studied in three classical combustion configurations: diffusion flames, premixed flames, and complex flames (e.g., flames with significant swirling and/or flow recirculation). For diffusion flames, plasma-based flame-holding strategies are being explored for non-premixed jet flames in both coflow and crossflow conditions. Studies of premixed flames will focus on novel discharge-enhanced expansion of the lean flammability limit. Studies of complex flames involve sustaining combustion with plasma enhancement under conditions of strong convective flow recirculation, where the degree of mixing is strongly dependent on the imposed flow field. The intent is to understand the processes for a range of fuel types (pure fuels, fuel mixtures, nitrogen-containing fuel mixtures) in a way that is not specific to a particular combustor but rather makes it applicable to a very broad range of combustion processes. The research will contribute to establishing a fundamental knowledge base of linked combustion and plasma systems that will ultimately advance the nations need for clean, safe energy. It will also educate graduate students, undergraduates, and high-school students in this multidisciplinary field, combining aspects of electronics, spectroscopy, high-powered lasers, fluid and plasma science, and combustion.