Probing the smallest soot particles in low-sooting premixed flames using laser-induced incandescence

In this work we investigate nascent soot particles by analyzing laser-induced incandescence (LII) signals obtained in low-sooting premixed flames. The analysis covers two data sets obtained in separate experimental campaigns. The first data set was obtained in a previous work (Mouton et al., 2013) in methane/oxygen/nitrogen flames (equivalence ratio range 1.95 < Φ < 2.32) at 26.7 kPa, whereas the second was performed in atmospheric ethylene/air flames (1.77 < Φ < 2.00). Both studies show similar trends, i.e. a gradual change of the fluence curves (evolution of the LII signal as function of the laser fluence) from the well-known S-shaped curve for mature soot found at high heights above the burner (HAB) and high equivalence ratio, to a nearly linear behavior for nascent soot found at low HAB and reduced equivalence ratio. With this change comes a decrease in the LII decay time (and hence inferred particle size). Also, this decay time appears to be almost constant with HAB in flames having the lowest equivalence ratio at which the incandescence signal could be detected. In these flames, so-called nucleation flames, the stability of the particle size with HAB suggests that recently nucleated particles have undergone marginal surface growth and coagulation. Existence of such nucleation flames is of great interest for improving the theoretical description of the nucleation step. Experimental results are analyzed by using a theoretical model for LII to determine the particle size evolution throughout the flame at various experimental conditions. We highlight the size difference from nascent soot particles up to mature soot, giving insight into the particle nucleation and the surface growth processes as a function of reaction time and flame conditions.