Experimental study of the structure of laminar axisymmetric H2/air diffusion flames

This thesis presents an experimental study of the structure of laminar axisymmetric coflow hydrogen diffusion flames. The motivation behind studying these flames is the current drive towards sustainable energy and strict pollution norms. In this regard, hydrogen as a fuel is one such candidate, which burns clean and possesses the capability as a future sustainable energy carrier. In addition, hydrogen flames are known to have many interesting properties arising mainly from finite-rate chemistry, thermal diffusion, and large differences in diffusion coefficients between H2 and other molecules. Considerable research will be needed to understand H2 diffusion flame structure in practical devices, which often possess multidimensional turbulent flow and complex chemical kinetics. Studying flame structure using the model flames discussed in this thesis can provide insight into the behavior of practical systems. The study of steady laminar flames also allows direct comparison of measurements with theoretical predictions.