2014 Volume 56 Issue 175 Pages 59-66
A newly developed small-sized IES (inductive energy storage) circuit with a semiconductor switch at turn-off action was successfully applied to an ignition system in the previous papers [1,2]. In this ignition system, both thermal and non-thermal plasmas are utilized actively. In this paper, the focus is placed on the clarification of ignition characteristics of non-thermal plasma. For this purpose, the ignition and combustion characteristics of non-thermal plasma are examined and compared with those of a conventional spark ignition. As a result, it is found that streamer discharge characterized by non-thermal plasma cannot only ignite combustible mixtures as well as conventional thermal plasma, but there are also some advantages, such as volumetric ignition. In addition, OH LIF measurement is carried out to probe the OH time history induced by the non-thermal plasma. In conclusions, a number of OH radical can accumulate from pulse to pulse during a train of repetitive pulses, and the created radicals can initiate chemical chain reaction, which result in ignition finally.
