A study of flames with millimeter-wave radiation

Abstract

It is a valuable issue to explore whether a flame can radiate microwaves, in spite of the electric field formed in the flame. Presented herein is an experimental study on a series of flames with millimeter-wave radiation in the combustion of pyrotechnic films. The pyrotechnic films were composed of ultra-fine red phosphorus (P), sodium nitrate (NaNO3), Polyvinyl Alcohol (PVA) and some additives such as chopped carbon fibers (CFs) and aluminized glass fibers (GFs). The combustion temperatures and millimeter-wave radiation signals of the flames were measured, the millimeter-wave emissivity and spectral radiant exitance were calculated to describe the millimeter-wave radiation intensity. The results demonstrate that the flame of the pyrotechnic films based on P/NaNO3/CFs can radiate millimeter waves, and different materials and their proportion have a great effect on the millimeter-wave radiation intensity.

Keywords

• Combustion
• Flame
• Pyrotechnics
• Millimeter-wave radiation