Profiling and characterization of flame radicals by combining spectroscopic imaging and neural network techniques

This paper presents the development of an instrumentation system for visualizing and characterizing free radicals in combustion flames. The system combines optical splitting, filtering, intensified imaging and image processing techniques for simultaneous and continuous monitoring of specific flame radicals (OH*, C*, CH*, and C₂*). Computing algorithms are developed to analyze the images and quantify the radiative characteristics of the radicals. Experimental results are obtained from a gas-fired combustion rig to demonstrate the effectiveness of the system. The information obtained by the system is used to establish relationships between radical characteristics and air-to-fuel ratios of combustion gases, helping to obtain an in-depth understanding of burn characteristics.