Horizontal Planar Angular Light Scattering (HPALS) characterization of soot produced in a laminar axisymmetric coflow ethylene diffusion flame

Abstract In-flame optical characterization of soot is of vital importance to understand soot formation mechanisms as well as to develop and validate accurate soot models. The present work introduces an unconventional methodology adapted to laminar axisymmetric flames that avoids the issue of variable measurement volume with varying scattering angle in the existing light scattering techniques and thus enables the determination of aggregate size with a higher spatial resolution. Coupled with multi-wavelength line-of-sight attenuation measurements, the proposed Horizontal Planar Angular Light Scattering at 532 nm was found able to provide radial profiles of aggregate size, number and diameter of primary spheres, soot volume fraction, and number density in a laminar axisymmetric coflow ethylene/air diffusion flame established over a Gulder burner. The spatial variation of soot optical properties associated with soot maturity was considered in data analysis.