Combustion research involves the complex study of a chemical reaction between multiple substances. The speed at which the substances combine is very high due to the energy that is generated by the combination of oxygen and heat or flame. The study of combustion is based on the knowledge of chemistry, physics, and mechanics. Combustion research is utilized in a wide range of applications, including engine testing in the automotive industry and in rocket and jet engine testing in the aerospace industry.
Photron cameras are often used in combustion studies due to their light sensitivity and PFV software which adds a number of features that prove helpful in those studies.
Academic Paper – Study of stratified lean premixed methane/air low-swirl turbulent flame
Simultaneous high-repetition rate (3 kHz) CH2O planar laser-induced fluorescence (PLIF) and particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements were performed in in turbulent low swirl stratified premixed methane/air flames to investigate the large-scale spatial and temporal evolution of the flame and flow dynamics. In addition, PLIF of OH and CH2O at a low-repetition rate (10Hz) were carried to study the global effect of equivalence ratio, ϕ, on the flame. A low swirler burner was used to stabilize a wide range of flames, from close-to-quenching lean flames to close to stoichiometric flame with ϕ = 0.9. The flames exhibit a laminar flamelet structure in the leading front and thickened flame structure with local quenching at the trailing edge. Detailed statistical data are obtained, including the velocity field, the mean flame location; preheat layer thickness, flame brush thickness and the flame surface density. These data provide a useful database for comparison of combustion model simulations. The results reveal interesting flame behaviour; depending on the equivalence ratio the large scale interaction between the flame and the flow field takes different forms.