Optical Flame Emissions Sensor for High-Speed Reacting Flows

Optical emissions sensors have the potential to be used in gauging combustion activity and quantifying heat release, fuel-air mixture, and combustor efficiency within a wide variety of combustor devices (both stationary and mobile). We propose to developboth chemiluminescence sensors-to derive equivalence ratio within the cavity pilot flame from the measured quantities, OH*, CH* and/or C2*-and infrared emissions sensors-to derive combustor efficiency from measured quantities, H2O, CO2, CO andtemperature-for supersonic combusting ramjet (scramjet) engines. The principal advantage of this approach over other optical-sensors-based approaches (e.g., absorption) is greater simplicity, since only a suitable photodetector is needed. In addition,solid-state optical emissions sensors are rugged, possess a wide field of view, require minimal optical access, and can be configured for species selectivity. During the Phase II program, we will develop combustor optical emission sensor hardware andsoftware for implementation in a scramjet combustor. Additional tasks involve designing rugged coupling optics/electronics and testing these designs in a direct-connect scramjet test facility.