SOOT ION QUANTIFICATION SYSTEMS

DETECTION AND MEASUREMENT OF SOOT IN THE EXHAUST OF TURBINE ENGINES IS IMPORTANT FROM A TACTICAL STANDPOINT OF AIRCRAFT VULNERABILITY. EXIS TING OPTICAL DETECTION METHODS ARE SUBJECT TO ERROR AND SUBJECTIVE ANA LYSIS. A NOVEL SOOT DETECTION METHOD IS PROPOSED FOR DEVELOPMENT. IT RELIES ON THE ELECTROMAGNETIC ENERGY RADIATED BY IONS EMBEDDED IN SOO T PARTICLES. THE FREQUENCY OF THE RADIATION IS VERY LOW AND IS A FUNC TION OF THE CHARGE AND MASS OF THE SOOT PARTICLES. THE INTENSITY AND FREQUENCY OF THE RADIATION IS DEPENDENT ON THE LOCAL MAGNETIC FIELD AN D ITS DETECTABILITY CAN BE ENHANCED BY INCREASING THE FIELD IN THE VIC INITY OF THE EXHAUST PLUME. THE PROPOSED EFFORT BUILDS ON A PREVIOUS DARPA PROJECT'S RESULTS TO QUANTIFY THE OBSERVABLE ELECTROMAGNETIC INF ORMATION AND TO LINK IT WITH SOOT YIELD AND SIZE DISTRIBUTION. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THE PROPOSED DEVICE CAN BE MADE SMALL ENOUGH TO BE CARRI ED ABOARD AIRCRAFT TO PARTICIPATE IN REAL-TIME COMBUSTION CONTROL.