Nitrogen and hydrogen CARS temperature measurements in a hydrogen/air flame using a near-adiabatic flat-flame burner

Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) spectroscopy of diatomic nitrogen and hydrogen was used to measure flame temperatures in hydrogen/air flames produced using a nonpremixed, near-adiabatic, flat-flame Hencken burner. The CARS temperature measurements are compared with adiabatic flame temperatures calculated by the NASA-Lewis equilibrium code for equivalence ratios from 0.5-2.5. The nitrogen CARS temperatures are in excellent agreement with the equilibrium code calculations. Comparison of nitrogen CARS data and the equilibrium code calculations confirms that for sufficiently high flow rates the Hencken burner produces nearly adiabatic flames. Hydrogen CARS temperature measurements are compared to both nitrogen CARS temperature measurements and equilibrium code predictions in order to evaluate and improve the accuracy of hydrogen CARS as a temperature diagnostic tool. Hydrogen CARS temperatures for fuel-rich flames are on average 70 K (similar to 3%) above the equilibrium code predictions and nitrogen CARS temperatures. The difference between temperatures measured using hydrogen and nitrogen CARS is probably due primarily to uncertainties in hydrogen linewidths and line-broadening mechanisms at these conditions. (C) 1997 by The Combustion Institute.