The use of molecular spectra simulation for diagnostics of reactive flows

Abstract

The C2* radical is used as a system probe tool to the reactive flow diagnostic, and it was chosen due to its large occurrence in plasma and combustion in aeronautics and aerospace applications. The rotational temperatures of C2* species were determined by the comparison between 2 experimental and theoretical data. The simulation code was developed by the authors, using C++ language and the object oriented paradigm, and it includes a set of new tools that increase the efficacy of the C2* probe to determine the rotational temperature of the system. A brute force approach for the determination of spectral parameters was adopted in this version of the computer code. The statistical parameter c2 was used as an objective criterion to determine the better match of experimental and synthesized spectra. The results showed that the program works even with low-quality experimental data, typically collected from in situ airborne compact apparatus. The technique was applied to flames of a Bunsen burner, and the rotational temperature of ca. 2100 K was calculated.

Keywords

• Optical emission spectra
• Computerized simulation
• Combustion control
• Computer programs
• Rotational spectra