Two-dimensional imaging of soot volume fraction by the use of laser-induced incandescence

Laser-induced incandescence for non-soot nanoparticles: recent trends and current challenges

Laser-induced incandescence (LII) is a widely used combustion diagnostic for in situ measurements of soot primary particle sizes and volume fractions in flames, exhaust gases, and the atmosphere. Increasingly, however, it is applied to characterize engineered nanomaterials, driven by the increasing industrial relevance of these materials and the fundamental scientific insights that may be obtained from these measurements. This review describes the state of the art as well as open research challenges and new opportunities that arise from LII measurements on non-soot nanoparticles. An overview of the basic LII model, along with statistical techniques for inferring quantities-of-interest and associated uncertainties is provided, with a review of the application of LII to various classes of materials, including elemental particles, oxide and nitride materials, and non-soot carbonaceous materials, and core-shell particles. The paper concludes with a discussion of combined and complementary diagnostics, and an outlook of future research.

Simultaneous soot multi-parameter fields predictions in laminar sooting flames from neural network-based flame luminosity measurement I: methodology

We originally report the use of a neural network-based method for diagnosing multiple key parameters in axis-symmetric laminar sooting flames. A Bayesian optimized back propagation neural network (BPNN) is developed and applied to flame luminosity to predict the planar distribution of soot volume fraction, temperature, and primary particle diameter. The feasibility and robustness of this approach are firstly assessed using numerical modeling results and then further validated with experimental results of a series of laminar diffusion sooting flames. This proposed BPNN model-based flame luminosity approach shows high prediction accuracies, typically up to 114 K, 0.25 ppm, and 2.56 nm for soot temperature, volume fraction, and primary particle diameter, respectively. We believe that the present machine learning-assisted optical diagnostics paves a more efficient, lower costing, and high-fidelity way for multi-parameters simultaneous diagnosis in combustion and reacting flows.

Investigation of Soot Formation in a Novel Diesel Fuel Burner

In the present work, a novel burner capable of complete pre-vaporization and stationary combustion of diesel fuel in a laminar diffusion flame has been developed to investigate the effect of the chemical composition of diesel fuel on soot formation. For the characterization of soot formation during diesel combustion we performed a comprehensive morphological characterization of the soot and determined its concentration by coupling elastic light scattering (ELS) and laser-induced incandescence (LII) measurements. With ELS, radii of gyration of aggregates were measured within a point-wise measurement volume, LII was employed in an imaging approach for a 2D-analysis of the soot volume fraction. We carried out LII and ELS measurements at different positions in the flame for two different fuel types, revealing the effects of small modifications of the fuel composition on soot emission during diesel combustion.

Calculation of anharmonic effect on the dissociation of ethylene glycol

The unimolecular dissociation rate constants of ethylene glycol were examined using the MP2/6-311[Formula: see text]G(d,p) method based on the Rice–Ramsperger–Kassel–Marcus (RRKM) theory. The effect of anharmonicity on the dissociation rate constants was evaluated at 500–4000[Formula: see text]K temperatures of the canonical system and 25,182–50,235[Formula: see text]cm[Formula: see text] total energies of the microcanonical system. The comparison of the results showed that the H2O elimination reaction played a critical role in the decomposition processes of ethylene glycol. The results of the rate constant calculations indicated that the H2O elimination reaction dominated at low temperatures, whereas the direct C–C bond dissociation reaction (CH2OHCH2OH [Formula: see text] CH2OH[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]CH2OH) dominated at high temperatures. For channel 1, CH2OH[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]CH2OH, the anharmonic effect of the canonical system was not observed, while it became more obvious with the increasing total energies in the microcanonical system. For channels 2–5, CH3CHO[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]H2O, CH2CHOH[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]H2O, CH3OH[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]CHOH, and CH2OHCHO[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]H2, the anharmonic effect of canonical and microcanonical systems became more obvious with increasing temperatures and total energies. The comparison showed that, for channels 1 and 4, C–C bond dissociation and the anharmonic effect of the microcanonical system were more evident, whereas the anharmonic effect of the canonical system was more predominant for channels 2 (CH3CHO[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]H2O), 3 (CH2CHOH[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]H2O), and 5 (CH2OHCHO[Formula: see text][Formula: see text][Formula: see text]H2).

Defining regimes and analytical expressions for fluence curves in pulsed laser heating of aerosolized nanoparticles

Fluence curves are a powerful tool for understanding the mechanisms underlying nanosecond pulse laser heating of aerosolized nanoparticles, which is relevant to laser-induced incandescence (LII). This paper presents analytical expressions encompassing the entirety of the fluence domain considered in LII and uses them to formally define fluence regimes. The derived expressions and non-dimensional parameters facilitate one of the first comparisons of published experimental fluence curves. This procedure provides physical insight into the laser-nanoparticle interaction and highlights inconsistencies in the application of LII models to analyze the data.

Laser-induced incandescence measurements of soot in turbulent pool fires

We present what we believe to be the first application of the laser-induced incandescence (LII) technique to large-scale fire testing. The construction of an LII instrument for fire measurements is presented in detail. Soot volume fraction imaging from 2 m diameter pool fires burning blended toluene/methanol liquid fuels is demonstrated along with a detailed report of measurement uncertainty in the challenging pool fire environment. Our LII instrument relies upon remotely located laser, optical, and detection systems and the insertion of water-cooled, fiber-bundle-coupled collection optics into the fire plume. Calibration of the instrument was performed using an ethylene/air laminar diffusion flame produced by a Santoro-type burner, which allowed for the extraction of absolute soot volume fractions from the LII images. Single-laser-shot two-dimensional images of the soot layer structure are presented with very high volumetric spatial resolution of the order of 10(-5) cm3. Probability density functions of the soot volume fraction fluctuations are constructed from the large LII image ensembles. The results illustrate a highly intermittent soot fluctuation field with potentially large macroscale soot structures and clipped soot probability densities.

Evaluation of the irising effect of a slow-gating intensified charge-coupled device on laser-induced incandescence measurements of soot

Intensified charge-coupled devices (ICCDs) are used extensively in many scientific and engineering environments to image weak or temporally short optical events. To optimize the quantum efficiency of light collection, many of these devices are chosen to have characteristic intensifier gate times that are relatively slow, on the order of tens of nanoseconds. For many measurements associated with nanosecond laser sources, such as scattering-based diagnostics and most laser-induced fluorescence applications, the signals rise and decay sufficiently fast during and after the laser pulse that the intensifier gate may be set to close after the cessation of the signal and still effectively reject interferences associated with longer time scales. However, the relatively long time scale and complex temporal response of laser-induced incandescence (LII) of nanometer-sized particles (such as soot) offer a difficult challenge to the use of slow-gating ICCDs for quantitative measurements. In this paper, ultraviolet Rayleigh scattering imaging is used to quantify the irising effect of a slow-gating scientific ICCD camera, and an analysis is conducted of LII image data collected with this camera as a function of intensifier gate width. The results demonstrate that relatively prompt LII detection, generally desirable to minimize the influences of particle size and local gas pressure and temperature on measurements of the soot volume fraction, is strongly influenced by the irising effect of slow-gating ICCDs.

Simultaneous correction of flat field and nonlinearity response of intensified charge-coupled devices

Intensified charge-coupled devices (ICCDs) are used extensively in many scientific and engineering environments to image weak or temporally short optical events. Care has to be taken in interpreting the images from ICCDs if quantitative results are required. In particular, nonuniform gain (flat field) and nonlinear response effects must be properly accounted for. Traditional flat-field corrections can only be applied in the linear regime of the ICCD camera, which limits the usable dynamic range. This paper reports a more general approach to image correction whereby the nonlinear gain response of each pixel of the ICCD is characterized over the full dynamic range of the camera. Image data can then be corrected for the combined effects of nonuniform gain and nonlinearity. The results from a two-color pyrometry measurement of soot field temperature are used to illustrate the capabilities of the new correction approach.

Particle formation from pulsed laser irradiation of soot aggregates studied with a scanning mobility particle sizer, a transmission electron microscope, and a scanning transmission x-ray microscope

We investigated the physical and chemical changes induced in soot aggregates exposed to laser radiation using a scanning mobility particle sizer, a transmission electron microscope, and a scanning transmission x-ray microscope to perform near-edge x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. Laser-induced nanoparticle production was observed at fluences above 0.12 J/cm(2) at 532 nm and 0.22 J/cm(2) at 1064 nm. Our results indicate that new particle formation proceeds via (1) vaporization of small carbon clusters by thermal or photolytic mechanisms, followed by homogeneous nucleation, (2) heterogeneous nucleation of vaporized carbon clusters onto material ablated from primary particles, or (3) both processes.

Two-color laser-induced incandescence (2C-LII) technique for absolute soot volume fraction measurements in flames

A two-color version of the laser-induced incandescence (2C-LII) technique was implemented for measuring absolute soot volume fraction in flames. By using a calibrated tungsten ribbon lamp, soot peak temperatures were measured as a function of fluence at several locations in an ethylene diffusion flame by using a steeply edged laser beam profile. Above a certain fluence threshold, peak temperatures were tightly distributed just above 4000 K independent of the particle size and number density. Radial profiles of soot volume fraction were obtained and compared (not calibrated) with results from the laser extinction technique. Good agreement showed the validity of the 2C-LII technique at a controlled fluence.

A calibration-independent laser-induced incandescence technique for soot measurement by detecting absolute light intensity

Laser-induced incandescence (LII) has proved to be a useful diagnostic tool for spatially and temporally resolved measurement of particulate (soot) volume fraction and primary particle size in a wide range of applications, such as steady flames, flickering flames, and Diesel engine exhausts. We present a novel LII technique for the determination of soot volume fraction by measuring the absolute incandescence intensity, avoiding the need for ex situ calibration that typically uses a source of particles with known soot volume fraction. The technique developed in this study further extends the capabilities of existing LII for making practical quantitative measurements of soot. The spectral sensitivity of the detection system is determined by calibrating with an extended source of known radiance, and this sensitivity is then used to interpret the measured LII signals. Although it requires knowledge of the soot temperature, either from a numerical model of soot particle heating or experimentally determined by detecting LII signals at two different wavelengths, this technique offers a calibration-independent procedure for measuring soot volume fraction. Application of this technique to soot concentration measurements is demonstrated in a laminar diffusion flame.

Laser-Induced Incandescence Study on the Metal Aerosol Particles as the Effect of the Surrounding Gas Medium

The fundamental heat transfer phenomena caused by the 1064 nm pulsed laser irradiations on the molybdenum aerosol particles were investigated by monitoring the time evolutions of the incandescence spectra using an ICCD detector with a multichannel spectrograph. The particle temperatures were evaluated from the incandescence spectra with the Planck function, and the cooling processes of the laser-heated particles were investigated. By measuring the decrease in the laser-heated particle temperatures with different surrounding media, the roles of the heat transfer processes such as vaporization, thermal radiation, and heat conduction to the surrounding media were discussed. The influences of the vaporization processes on the total heat transfer phenomena were investigated by monitoring the emissions of the constituent molybdenum atoms in the laser-induced incandescence spectra of the aerosol particles and also by investigating the relationships between the intensity of the incandescence and the fluence of the 1064 nm pulsed laser. The calculations using the theory of heat conduction suggested that the diameters of the particles produced by the photolysis of Mo(CO)6 depended on the nature of the surrounding gases.

Assessment of soot particle vaporization effects during laser-induced incandescence with time-resolved light scattering

Although laser-induced incandescence (LII) has been successfully used for soot volume fraction and particle size measurements, uncertainties remain regarding issues of soot vaporization leading to mass loss and morphological changes occurring in soot due to intense heating. Prompt LII detection schemes are often based on the assumption that the associated time scale is shorter than the time scale of soot vaporization or sublimation. The validity of such assumptions is the focus of the current study. Time-resolved light-scattering measurements were made in combination with LII measurements to quantify soot particle vaporization effects resulting from the LII laser pulse. The light-scattering measurements revealed a sharp decrease in total soot particle mass during the time course of the 25 ns full-width LII laser pulse for fluences in the range of 0.5 J/cm2. Light-scattering theory was used to invert the scattering data, revealing approximately 80%-90% reductions in the soot particle volume for LII fluences of 0.47 and 0.61 J/cm2. In addition, the time-resolved scattering measurements show that the time scale of soot vaporization is completely confined to the LII laser pulse itself. Light scattering revealed no soot vaporization only for fluences of approximately 0.1 J/cm2, which is consistent with recent work on low-fluence LII. Possible mechanisms for soot vaporization are discussed, notably for near-threshold fluences.

Simultaneous planar laser-induced incandescence, OH planar laser-induced fluorescence, and droplet Mie scattering in swirl-stabilized spray flames

Simultaneous planar laser-induced incandescence, hydroxyl radical planar laser-induced fluorescence, and droplet Mie scattering are used to study the instantaneous flame structure and soot formation process in an atmospheric pressure, swirl-stabilized, liquid-fueled, model gas-turbine combustor. Optimal excitation and detection schemes to maximize single-shot signals and avoid interferences from soot-laden flame emission are discussed. The data indicate that rich pockets of premixed fuel and air along the interface between the spray flame and the recirculation zone serve as primary sites for soot inception. Intermittent large-scale structures and local equivalence ratio are also found to play an important role in soot formation.

Time-resolved laser-induced incandescence of soot: the influence of experimental factors and microphysical mechanisms

We present a data set for testing models of time-resolved laser-induced incandescence of soot. Measurements were made in a laminar ethene diffusion flame over a wide range of laser fluences at 532 nm. The laser was seeded to provide a smooth temporal profile, and the beam was spatially filtered and imaged into the flame to provide a homogeneous spatial profile. The particle incandescence was imaged onto a fast photodiode. The measurements are compared with the standard Melton model [Appl. Opt. 23,2201 (1984)] and with a new model that incorporates physical mechanisms not included in the Melton model.

Monitoring of fuel consumption and aromatics formation in a kerosene spray flame as characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy

The large presence of aromatic compounds in distillate fossil fuels should allow, in line of principle, to follow the fuel consumption and/or the presence of unburned fuel in a high temperature environment like a burner or the exhaust of combustion systems by exploiting the high fluorescence emission of aromatic fuel components. To this aim an UV-excited fluorescence source has to be used since the aromatic fuel components are strongly fluorescing in the UV region of the emission spectrum. In this work UV-excited laser induced fluorescence (LIF) diagnostics was applied to spray flames of kerosene in order to follow the fuel consumption and the formation of aromatic species. A strong UV signal was detected in the spray region of the flame that presented a shape similar to that found in the LIF spectra preliminary measured on the cold spray and in the room-temperature fluorescence of fuel solutions. The decrease of UV signal along the spray flame region was associated to the consumption of the fuel, but more difficult seems to be the attribution of a broad visible emission, that is present downstream of the flame. The visible emission feature could be assigned to flame-formed PAH species contained in the high molecular weight species, hypothesizing that their fluorescence spectra are shifted toward the visible for effect of the high temperature flame environment.

Size distributions of nanoscaled particles and gas temperatures from time-resolved laser-induced-incandescence measurements

Laser-induced-incandescence (LII) signal decays are measured in sooting premixed atmospheric and low-pressure flames. Soot particle temperatures are obtained from LII signals measured at two wavelengths. Soot particle size distributions P(r) and flame temperatures T are measured spatially resolved by independent techniques. Heat and mass transfer kinetics of the LII process are determined from measured soot particle temperatures, flame temperatures, and particle sizes. Uncertainties of current LII models are attributed to processes during the absorption of the laser pulse. Implications for LII experiments are made in order to obtain primary soot particle sizes. Soot particle size distributions and flame temperatures are assessed from measured particle temperature decays by use of multi-D nonlinear regression.

Laser-induced incandescence for soot diagnostics at high pressures

The influence of pressure on laser-induced incandescence (LII) is investigated systematically in premixed, laminar sooting ethylene/air flames at 1-15 bar with wavelength-, laser fluence-, and time-resolved detection. In the investigated pressure range the LII signal decay rate is proportional to pressure. This observation is consistent with the prediction of heat-transfer models in the free-molecular regime. Pressure does not systematically affect the relationship between LII signal and laser fluence. With appropriate detection timing the pressure influence on LII signal's proportionality to soot volume faction obtained by extinction measurements is only minor compared with the variation observed in different flames at fixed pressures. The implications for particle sizing and soot volume fraction measurements using LII techniques at elevated pressures are discussed.

Application of laser-induced incandescence to the detection of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers

Laser-induced incandescence applied to a heterogeneous, multielement reacting flow is characterized by temporally resolved emission spectra, time-resolved emission at selected detection wavelengths, and fluence dependence. Two-pulse laser measurements are used to further probe the effects of laser-induced changes on the optical signal. Laser fluences above 0.6 J/cm2 at 1064 nm initiate laser-induced vaporization, yielding a lower incandescence intensity, as found through fluence-dependence measurements. Spectrally derived temperatures show that values of excitation laser fluence greater than this value lead to superheated plasmas with temperatures well above the vaporization point of carbon. The temporal evolution of the emission signal at these fluences is consistent with plasma dissipation processes, not incandescence from solidlike structures. Two-pulse laser experiments reveal that other material changes are produced at fluences below the apparent vaporization threshold, leading to nanostructures with different optical and thermal properties.

Two-dimensional two-wavelength emission technique for soot diagnostics

A two-dimensional soot diagnostic technique has been developed as an extension of the well-known two-color pyrometry. Two flame images are simultaneously collected on a CCD at selected wavelengths through suitable optics. By use of the dependence of soot emissivity on the soot volume fraction and by comparison with images from a calibrated light source, both the temperature field and the soot distribution can be determined. Validation was carried out through data obtained with other soot diagnostic methods on ethylene diffusion and Diesel oil-rich premixed flames. The current technique readily allowed us to obtain a large amount of data for a thorough description of the soot distribution within the flame. As an example of the technique's potential, data about methane and propane diffusion flames are reported.

Time-resolved laser-induced incandescence and laser elastic-scattering measurements in a propane diffusion flame

Laser-induced incandescence (LII) and laser elastic-scattering measurements have been obtained with subnanosecond time resolution from a propane diffusion flame. Results show that the peak and time-integrated values of the LII signal increase with increasing laser fluence to maxima at the time of the onset of significant vaporization, beyond which they both decrease rapidly with further increases in fluence. This latter behavior for the time-integrated value is known to be characteristic for a laser beam with a rectangular spatial profile and is attributed to soot mass loss from vaporization. However, there is no apparent explanation for the corresponding large decrease in the peak value. Analysis shows that the peak value occurs at the time in the laser pulse when the time-integrated fluence reaches approximately 0.2 J/cm(2) and that the magnitude of the peak value is strongly dependent on the rate of energy deposition. One possible explanation for this behavior is that, at high laser fluences, a cascade ionization phenomenon leads to the formation of an absorptive plasma that strongly perturbs the LII process.

Quantitative investigation of soot distribution by laser-induced incandescence

Strategies employed for quantitative measurement by laser-induced incandescence are detailed. Data are obtained for several laminar diffusion flames formed from blended Diesel fuels of known composition. A tomographic procedure is developed to scale the two-dimensional data to soot volume fraction and to correct for the trapping of signal by the soot field. Scaling is achieved by use of laser extinction along the measurement plane. The findings are used in discussions of measurement issues within turbulent environments. Data are augmented with elastic scattering measurements, allowing particle-size and number-density distributions to be inferred. A degree of axial and radial similarity among various flames suggests that the processes of soot formation and oxidation occur over similar time scales for each fuel.

Laser-induced incandescence for soot particle size measurements in premixed flat flames

Measurements of soot properties by means of laser-induced incandescence (LII) and combined scattering-extinction were performed in well-characterized premixed ethylene-air flames. In particular, the possibility of using LII as a tool for quantitative particle sizing was investigated. Particle sizes were evaluated from the temporal decay of the LII signal combined with heat balance modeling of laser-heated particles, and these sizes were compared with the particle sizes deduced from scattering-extinction measurements based on isotropic sphere theory. The correspondence was good early in the soot-formation process but less good at later stages, possibly because aggregation to clusters began to occur. A critical analysis has been made of how uncertainties in different parameters, both experimental and in the model, affect the evaluated particle sizes for LII. A sensitivity analysis of the LII model identified the ambient-flame temperature as a major source of uncertainty in the evaluated particle size, a conclusion that was supported by an analysis based on temporal LII profiles.

Laser-induced incandescence applied to metal nanostructures

Laser-induced incandescence is both characterized and demonstrated for the measurement of metal nanoparticle concentration. Reported are the results of an initial characterization of the spectral and temporal signature of the laser-induced incandescence as a function of the excitation laser fluence and wavelength. Validation of the incandescence as a measure of the concentration is demonstrated by absorption measurements. Fluence dependence measurements are also presented. Double-pulse measurements determine the fluence for the onset of vaporization-induced mass loss. Comparisons between the present observations and those for carbon nanostructures are also made. Metals tested include (in order of increasing vaporization temperature) Fe, Ti, Mo, and W.

Cavity ringdown and laser-induced incandescence measurements of soot

Currently laser-induced incandescence (LII) is widely used for the measurement of soot volume fraction. A particularly important aspect of the technique that has received less attention, however, is calibration. The applicability of cavity ringdown (CRD) for measurement of soot volume fraction f(v) is assessed, and the calibration of LII by means of CRD is demonstrated. The accuracy of CRD for f(v) determination is validated by comparison with traditional light extinction and path-integrated LII. By use of CRD, the quantification of LII for parts in 10(9) (ppb) f(v) levels is demonstrated. Results are presented that demonstrate the accuracy of CRD for a single laser pulse to be better than ?5% for measurement of ppb soot volume-fraction levels over a 1-cm path length. By use of CRD, spatially resolved LII signals from soot within methane-air diffusion flames are calibrated for ppb f(v) levels, thereby avoiding the extrapolation required of less sensitive methods in current use.

Determination of soot parameters by a two-angle scattering-extinction technique in an ethylene diffusion flame

We used a two-angle scattering technique to investigate the soot distribution in an ethylene diffusion flame in conjunction with extinction measurements. In the framework of a fractal description, we introduced a modified structure factor to interpret the scattering intensity from polydisperse aggregates. The connection between a mean value of a structural radius of gyration, R(gm1), and the quantities experimentally measured was then established. Soot parameters (volume fraction, particle size, and number densities) were determined along three radial sections of a 8-cm high-diffusion flame. The stability of the results with respect to the parameters of the distribution function was studied.

Performance characteristics of soot primary particle size measurements by time-resolved laser-induced incandescence

A detailed analysis of various factors that influence the accuracy of time-resolved laser-induced incandescence for the determination of primary soot particles is given. As the technique relies on the measurement of the signal ratio at two detection times of the enhanced thermal radiation after an intense laser pulse, guidelines are presented for a suitable choice of detection times to minimize statistical uncertainty. An error analysis is presented for the issues of laser energy absorption, vaporization, heat conduction, and signal detection. Results are shown for a laminar ethene diffusion flame that demonstrate that concurring results are obtained for various laser irradiances, detection characteristics, and times of observation.

Laser-induced incandescence: excitation intensity

Assumptions of theoretical laser-induced incandescence (LII) models along with possible effects of high-intensity laser light on soot aggregates and the constituent primary particles are discussed in relation to selection of excitation laser fluence. Ex situ visualization of laser-heated soot by use of transmission electron microscopy reveals significant morphological changes (graphitization) induced by pulsed laser heating. Pulsed laser transmission measurements within a premixed laminar sooting flame suggest that soot vaporization occurs for laser fluences greater than 0.5 J/cm(2) at 1064 nm. Radial LII intensity profiles at different axial heights in a laminar ethylene gas jet diffusion flame reveal a wide range of signal levels depending on the laser fluence that is varied over an eight fold range. Results of double-pulse excitation experiments in which a second laser pulse heats in situ the same soot that was heated by a prior laser pulse are detailed. These two-pulse measurements suggest varying degrees of soot structural change for fluences below and above a vaporization threshold of 0.5 J/cm(2) at 1064 nm. Normalization of the radial-resolved LII signals based on integrated intensities, however, yields self-similar profiles. The self-similarity suggests robustness of LII for accurate relative measurement of soot volume fraction despite the morphological changes induced in the soot, variations in soot aggregate and primary particle size, and local gas temperature. Comparison of LII intensity profiles with soot volume fractions (f(v)) derived by light extinction validates LII for quantitative determination of f(v) upon calibration for laser fluences ranging from 0.09 to 0.73 J/cm(2).

Laser-induced incandescence: detection issues

Theoretical predictions suggest that soot particle size and local gas temperature affect both the spectral intensity and the temporal evolution of laser-induced incandescence. A discussion of both the physical structure and the theoretical absorption models of soot aggregates is presented, suggesting that the soot particle size relevant to laser-induced incandescence (LII) is the primary particle size regardless of whether the primary particle exists individually or is assembled into an aggregate. Experimental results of LII measurements in a laminar gas-jet flame with different signal collection strategies for the LII are presented. These results suggest that (a) signal integration during the laser pulse is essential for minimizing particle size and local temperature bias in the LII signal, (b) signal integration times subsequent to the laser pulse produce a size and local gas-temperature-dependent bias in the LII signal with long integration times more sensitive to these effects, and (c) long wavelength detection produces less of a size and local gas-temperature-dependent bias than short wavelength detection.