Analysis of 3D combustion measurements using CH-based tomographic VLIF (volumetric laser induced fluorescence)

Recent results have experimentally demonstrated the feasibility of obtaining 3D (three-dimensional) combustion measurements using tomographic VLIF (volumetric laser-induced fluorescence), specifically of the CH radical, representing the flame surface. To elucidate the fundamental capabilities and limitations of the VLIF technique, this work reports an analysis of its performance in terms of signal level, size of the field of view (FOV) in 3D, and accuracy. Compared to the established PLIF (planar LIF) technique that uses a thin laser sheet to excite the target species in a plane, the VLIF technique uses a thick laser slab to excite the target species in a volume. As a result, the VLIF technique involves more performance metrics compared to PLIF, and the relationship between these metrics is also different from that in the PLIF technique. Therefore, both experimental and computational studies were conducted to analyze the performance metrics of VLIF. First, experiments were conducted on well-controlled flames to examine the relationship among excitation energy, signal level, and FOV in 3D. Second, based on these experimental data, numerical simulations were performed to benchmark the VLIF technique under a range of conditions. These results illustrate the relationship among signal level, 3D FOV, and accuracy and are expected to be valuable for the optimal design of the VLIF technique.