Analysis of the ignition process using a digital image and colour processing technique

An experimental investigation of flame emission properties in the ignition-to-flame propagation process has been conducted. In particular, the phenomenon of ignition delay was analysed through digital image processing and colour analysis. This processing methodology makes use of the observed correlation between a digital colour signal and physical flame emission characteristics in the visible spectrum. Aspects of red, green, blue and hue, saturation, value colour modelling principles were combined to turn a high-speed digital colour camera into an abstract multi-spectral system. Experiments were carried out on both a laboratory-based atmospheric burner and an industrial gas-turbine combustor. In both cases, results have shown that the commonly observed flame colour feature from the soot radiation does not signify the start of combustion reaction but rather a later stage of flame development. Additional weak colour quantities were identified via digital colour image processing in the ignition delay time interval where there were no previous definitive signals to designate the presence of combustion. This colour entity was found to match with the typical digital colour signal output from the stimulation of CH* and C*(2) radical chemiluminescence emissions.