Characterization of the effects of a plasma injector driven by AC dielectric barrier discharge on ethylene-air diffusion flame structure

A dielectric barrier discharge plasma controlled diffusion flame experimental system was built based on the designed coaxial swirling plasma injector. The air plasma was generated within the annulus gap of the injector by alternating current dielectric barrier discharge. The discharge characteristics and power of plasma injector under different actuation intensities and air flowrates were measured. Through the measurement techniques, such as schlieren imaging, broadband chemiluminescence image and CH* chemiluminescence, the effect and mechanism of plasma on ethylene-air normal diffusive jet and flame was explored. The results showed that a large number of filamentary discharge channels are formed in air plasma. The increase of air flowrates weakened the intensity of discharge to a certain extent. The induced jet generated by the plasma can short the laminar length of the ethylene-air jet, accelerate the transition of the flow jet, enhance the turbulence and the mixing of the fuel and the oxidizer. The higher the actuation intensity, the shorter distance of the cold jet transition zone, the higher the jet turbulence. Depending on the aerodynamic and kinetic effects, plasma can improve the stability of ethylene-air diffusive flame and reduce the lift height between the flame root and injector. The plasma can also expand the flammability limit of ethylene-air flame and make the flame ignited under some conditions that could not be. In addition, the CH* chemiluminescence shows that, in a certain range of discharge voltage, the heat release distribution can be changed on both sides of the flame, and its representative length are generally reduced as the voltage rises. On the contrary, the overtop voltage could lead to a decrease of flame heat release