A new DBD microplasma burner for measuring the effect of nanosecond discharge on burning velocity of CH4-Air flame at atmospheric pressure

Using of non-equilibrium plasma for ignition, combustion and high speed flow applications are rapidly developing in the last decades due to its ability to produce a large amount of radicals and excited species which has a great potential in flame stabilization and emission control. Although many studies have demonstrated the effectiveness of plasma to enhance combustion properties, the detailed enhancement mechanism is still highly unknown.
Toward a better understanding of the flame behaviour under plasma effect, a novel micro-plasma reactor has been developed to generate a non-thermal plasma discharge in atmospheric pressure. In addition, a laboratory scale burner has been constructed to utilize the plasma reactor to stabilize lean premixed methane/air flame where the mixture reacts efficiently with the plasma species in the micro-plasma reactor. Nano-second high voltage plasma discharge in different frequencies ranging from 0 to 15 kHz and different equivalence ratios have been studied. Emission spectroscopic measurements has been utilized to figure out the effect of the plasma on the combustion chemistry. Temperature measurements by Rayleigh scattering method to show the thermal effect of the plasma discharge on flame temperature. It is clear that the burning velocity increases as a result of using plasma discharge. Form the emission spectroscopic measurements, an increased amount of (OH) and (CH) radical have been observed.