Laser-induced incandescence technique to identify soot nucleation and very small particles in low-pressure methane flames

This paper presents the study we carried out on the formation of soot particles in low-pressure premixed CH₄/O₂/N₂ flames by using Laser-Induced Incandescence (LII). Flames were stabilised at 26.6 kPa (200 torr). Four different equivalence ratios were tested (Φ = 1.95, 205, 2.15 and 2.32), Φ = 1.95 corresponding to the equivalence ratio for which LII signals begin to be measurable along the flame. The evolution of the LII signals with laser fluence (fluence curve), time (temporal decay) and emission wavelength is reported at different heights above the burner. We specifically took advantage of the low-pressure conditions to probe with a good spatial resolution the soot inception zone of the flames. Significant different behaviours of the fluence curves are observed according to the probed region of the flames and Φ. In addition, while the surface growth process is accompanied by an increase in the LII decay-times (indicator of the primary particle diameter) at higher Φ, decay-times become increasingly short at lower Φ reaching a constant value along the flame at Φ = 1.95. These behaviours are consistent with the detection of the smallest incandescent particles in the investigated flames, these particles having experienced very weak surface growth. Flame modelling including soot formation has been implemented in flames Φ = 2.05 and 2.32. Experimental quantitative soot volume fraction profiles were satisfactorily reproduced by adjusting the fraction of reactive soot surface available for reactions. The qualitative variation of the computed soot particle diameter and the relative weight of surface growth versus nucleation were consistent with the experimental observations.