Some observations on plasma-assisted combustion enhancement using dielectric barrier discharges

We explore an effective way to promote propane combustion by applying a plasma discharge for efficiency enhancement. A coaxial-cylinder, dielectric barrier discharge is used to activate propane and air before they are mixed with each other and ignited for combustion. The characteristics of the combustion flame are well studied and evaluated by varying various operational parameters. It is found that the combustion process can be enhanced by applying a plasma on either the propane or air stream, and the combustion stability is found to be somewhat sensitive to the lean burning conditions and confined to a relatively narrow operating window. The temperature and spectrum of the flame in the main combustion zone are investigated with a 4 W plasma in the on or off state. The main components are identified, and the possible physical and chemical reaction mechanisms are discussed. A comparative analysis of these spectra and temperatures obtained in the main flame suggests that the energy generated from the 4 W plasma is partially used to heat the reaction gases in the flame, and another part of the energy is used to increase the luminosity, especially for activation of air. We also observe that combustion of high flow rate propane and/or air requires more discharge energy density under certain conditions. A comparison of combustion enhancement through different activation methods in flame blowout tests shows that reactive species derived from activation of air play a more critical role in the blowout limit of propane combustion flame than those generated by activation of propane at low equivalence ratio and propane flow.