Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Ignition of Methane/air Mixture by Nanosecond Pulse Discharges

Detailed experimental investigation of a non-equilibrium nanosecond pulsed discharge in premixed CH4/air mixtures at atmospheric pressure has been carried out. Electron temperature and number density were measured using laser Thomson scattering. Temperature measurements of neutral molecules were obtained using CARS. Finally, OH, CH and CH2O PLIF measurements were carried out to identify their role in the significant reductions in ignition delay and the increased lean burn capability relative to conventional spark ignition. Measurements were compared with numerical simulations performed with the CHEMKIN-based code.