Current research in CI combustion aims to reduce PM and NOx emissions by controlling mixture homogeneity. Low CN fuels are suitable due to their auto-ignition resistance, but the in-cylinder mixture stratification level must be carefully visualised and controlled. Numerous diagnostic techniques exist for imaging the in-cylinder hydrocarbon species concentration. Tomographic techniques based on spectroscopic modalities are minimally-intrusive and able to target species of interest even in multi-component fuel blends. The high-speed CST technique applied in this work is based on the NIRAT modality. A number of collimated LASER beams at 1700nm traverse the optically accessible engine combustion chamber and are spectroscopically absorbed by the first overtone of the C-H stretch bond. Non species-specific attenuation mechanisms are suppressed by a DWR scheme utilising a reference wavelength at 1651nm. Ratiometric data is used to tomographically reconstruct the spatially-varying fuel concentration. In this work the first application of NIRAT on a commercial CI engine is presented, using instrumentation capable of imaging 13 frames/CAD at 1200rpm using a 31-beam array. A novel method was developed to experimentally quantify the tomography system’s non-uniform spatial resolution. The method was applied in laboratory experiments involving free-space propane plumes and a map of the spatial resolution was created. The spatial resolution varies between 4mm and 14mm. The mean of 9mm is 72% better than previous estimates in the literature. Regions of poor performance correlated with non-uniformities in the sensitivity matrix, indicating that a regular beam array may contribute towards more accurate and objective reconstructions of unknown concentrations. The characterised tomography system was installed on an optically-accessible Volvo D5 CI engine. The optically-inaccessible CAD region achieved was ±18CAD, a reduction of ±12° from previous works. The vibration-tolerance of the optical access system was verified, concluding that the initial alignment of the beams is the dominant factor that determines beam integrity after prolonged engine operation. The behavior of individual beams was studied, finding strong cycle-to-cycle correlation of the anomalies present. This was exploited to develop a novel, robust analysis algorithm to process the engine data. The algorithm achieved a standard deviation of <10% of the maximum pk-pk magnitude of the transmission signal in the fuel vapour phase. The system was applied to qualitatively visualise the mixing of a 50/50% blend of iso-/n-dodecane in a motored, nitrogen-aspirated engine under a range of operating conditions. A study by simulation of the decomposition of n-dodecane concluded that only 0.492% of the quantity injected is pyrolytically converted during a compression stroke. Spray-phase imaging was not possible due to severe reduction of the optical throughput, lasting for 8-15 CAD for a lean mixture and for 15-30 CAD for a rich mixture. Vapour-phase reconstructions using the enhanced iterative Landweber algorithm were successful in resolving rich fuel pockets consistent with the injection pattern. It was shown that the degree of mixture homogeneity at TDC is dependent upon the initial intake temperature. PLIF was used to cross-validate the NIRAT reconstructions. Localisation of the features reconstructed with NIRAT was excellent, with a maximum angular deviation of ±10°. A swirl motion of the mixture by 1°/CAD was observed using both techniques, confirming the features previously observed in the NIRAT reconstructions. In conclusion, NIRAT has been, for the first time, successfully applied for in-cylinder fuel distribution imaging in a CI engine. The results, created using an original data analysis algorithm, were successfully cross-validated using PLIF. A novel spatial resolution quantification method was formulated and used to characterise the tomography system. The numerous findings and learning points from the individual stages of this work will be used to advance the field of combustion diagnostics as well as contribute towards the development of advanced in-cylinder tomographic imaging systems.

Orientador: João Andrade de Carvalho / Resumo: Application technologies based on the detonation cycle has proven a significant impact on the overall efficiency. However, detonation engines are not currently available on the markets due to the lack of physical and chemical knowledge of the detonation phenomenon. The present study aims to provide new insights by studying the pressure and velocity, the density gradient of the detonation wave, and the OH distribution on the reaction zone of hydrogen-air detonation. Three strategies were proposed to obtain repeatable detonation events. The strategies vary on the geometry of the obstacle and the amount of spark plug to ignite the mixture. Pressure and velocity were recorded to determine if the transition from deflagration to detonation is successful. To image the density gradient of the shock wave, the optical technique called Schlieren was adapted to the detonation test bench. The OH radical distribution was studied by the optical diagnostic technique called planar laser-induced fluorescence. The pressure trace results showed high peaks in the regimen of Chapman-Jouguet state for detonation, unlike fast flames. The velocity results showed a considerable influence of the obstacle geometry to enhance the velocity of the wave, although the repeatable detonation events and the steadiness of the velocity were not boosted. The third strategy proved that adding more energy to a transient detonation wave, enhanced the stability and the consistent production of detonation events. The S... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Mestre

The current research focuses on the thermoacoustic instability of lean premixed combustion, which is a promising technique to inhibit Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) emission. Thermoacoustic instability describes the condition that the pressure oscillation is unusually high in the combustion device. It results from the coupling between pressure fluctuation and heat release oscillation, which experiences significant temporal and spatial variations. These variations are closely related to the flame shape deformation and critical in determining the trend of the global instability. Therefore, the current study aims to examine both the global and local flame features created by thermoacoustic instability. The first part of the work is studying the unstable flame induced by artificial acoustic perturbation. The particular focus is on the global and local heat release rate oscillation. In the experiment, the global heat release rate oscillation was indicated by the hydroxyl (OH*) chemiluminescence captured with a photomultiplier tube (PMT). On the other hand, the flame shape and the local mean heat release rate were examined with flame surface density (FSD), which was calculated with the images captured with the planar laser-induced fluorescence of the hydroxide radical (OH-PLIF) method. The main analysis methods used in the current research are Rayleigh criterion and proper orthogonal decomposition (POD), which can efficiently capture the dominant oscillation mode of the flame. The acoustic perturbation study first examined the effect of pressure variation (0.1 - 0.4 MPa) on the flame response to the acoustic perturbation. Results show that the elevated pressure intensifies the fundamental mode of heat release oscillation when the heat release oscillation is in phase with the pressure fluctuation; otherwise, the fundamental oscillation tends to be inhibited. The pressure affects both the strength and the distribution of the local fundamental and the first harmonic oscillations. Furthermore, the effect of the pressure on the distribution is larger than that on the strength. The study also investigated the role of Strouhal numbers in characterizing the flame oscillation induced by acoustic perturbation. Results show that the Strouhal number can characterize the changing trend of the oscillation amplitude, whereas the oscillation phase-delay is less dependent on the Strouhal number. The local analysis reveals that the nonlinear flame behavior results from the flame rollup induced by acoustic perturbation. Furthermore, the reconstruction of the global heat release shows that the cancellation of out-of-phase local oscillations can cause a low-level global oscillation. Results also demonstrate that the local heat release oscillation contains intense harmonic oscillations, which are closely associated with the flame rollup. However, the harmonic oscillation is less likely the main reason causing nonlinear flame behavior. Besides the study with acoustic perturbation, the current study also conducted experimental and modeling studies on the self-excited thermoacoustic instability. The particular focus is examining the effects of hydrogen addition on the instability trend. Results demonstrate that the hydrogen concentration can affect both the oscillation frequency and amplitude. Pressure analysis shows that the low-frequency mode is triggered when the hydrogen concentration is low, whereas a high hydrogen concentration tends to excite a high-frequency mode. Moreover, the frequency tends to increase with an increasing hydrogen concentration. Modeling results illustrate that the change of the oscillation mode, which is determined by the turbulent flame speed, is mainly affected by the delay time between the heat release oscillation and the velocity fluctuation. The modeling work shows that the one-dimensional model is not very efficient in capture the instability trend of the high-frequency mode. It may result from the lack of the knowledge of the mechanism of acoustic damping and flame dynamics.

Sustainable and low emission combustion requires new combustion paradigms and solutions to increase efficiency, comply with more stringent regulations on pollutants, and cope with the varying qualities of renewable fuels. Plasma Assisted Combustion (PAC) could be one of the tools to achieve these goals in practical combustion systems. Previous studies showed that PAC can be used in a variety of applications: to improve ignition in difficult environments, to extend the operating range of burners to leaner conditions, to contrast thermoacoustic instability, to allow flame-holding in extreme conditions, and more. While applications keep being proposed, there are efforts to model and understand the coupling between flames and plasma discharges. This work contributes to the unraveling of the action of plasma discharges on flames by performing a number of investigations on a simple PAC burner. Trends and temporal evolution of key chemical species and electric fields are measured during plasma actuation of the flame. Experimental datasets resulting from this work are meant to be used in cross-validating numerical simulations. The considered PAC burner generates a lean methane-air stagnation flame, across which discharges are applied, developing partially in the fresh and partially in the burned gases. Time-resolved 2D imaging of atomic hydrogen and oxygen is obtained by using two-photon absorption planar laser induced fluorescence (TALIF) while OH and CH radicals are measured by using planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF). To measure the electric field, the Electric Field Induced Second Harmonic generation (EFISH) technique is used. A novel deconvolution-like post-processing procedure is proposed and used to calibrate the measurements and improve the spatial resolution, overcoming limitations and distortions typical of EFISH measurements. Presented results quantify the effect of the plasma actuation on the flame and lend themselves to the validation of numerical models.

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Cette étude s'intéresse aux risques associés à la formation d'une ATmosphère EXplosive (ATEX) née d'une fuite d'hydrogène et de sa dispersion dans l'air ambiant. La fuite a été modélisée par un jet turbulent à densité variable libre, impactant sur une sphère de diamètre 20mm ou sur une plaque plane. Dans un premier temps, les champs de vitesses et de concentration ont été obtenus expérimentalement en proche sortie grâce à des mesures de Vélocimétrie par Images de Particules (PIV) et de Fluorescence Induite par Plan Laser sur l'acétone (PLIF). La turbulence et le mélange ont été caractérisés pour le cas d'un jet libre ou en présence d'un obstacle. A partir de ces mesures, la structure générale de l'écoulement a été étudiée à partir des champs moyens et fluctuants par comparaison avec les données de la bibliographie. Puis, les données issues des fluctuations ont été analysées statistiquement par l'étude des fonctions de densité de probabilité du scalaire. Ces travaux se sont poursuivis avec la mise en relation des résultats expérimentaux avec ceux obtenues par des simulations numériques DNS (Direct Numerical Simulation) utilisant la méthode Boltzmann sur Réseau (LBM) d'un scalaire passif dans un jet d'air. Cette étude a permis de recueillir et d'analyser des données supplémentaires sur le mélange d'un jet à masse volumique variable libre ou impactant. Ces données sont directement applicables à la maitrise des risques liés aux fuites d'hydrogène. / This study examines the risks associated with the formation of an explosive atmosphere from a hydrogen leak and its dispersion into the air. We considered the leak as a turbulent jet with density variable, free and impinging a $20,mm$ diameter sphere or a flat plate. Firstly, velocity and scalar fields have been measured experimentally in the near field through Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and acetone Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence (LIF). Turbulence and mixing have been defined in the case of free jet and impinging jet. From this measurements, the flow structure has been presented from the mean and fluctuating flow measurements by comparison with literature data. Next, the fluctuation scalar fields are studied with the probability density function method. Finally, a comparison has been conducted between the experiments and direct numerical simulation (DNS) of turbulence based on the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for passive scalar in air jet. This study is gathering and analyzing data on the mixing of jet with density variable, free and impinging jet. Such data is directly useful to identify and control risks incurred due to hydrogen leak.

Cette thèse présente une étude expérimentale du problème de mélange dans les fluides complexes, étude menée en partenariat avec l’entreprise Sanofi Pasteur. Le mélange est un acte des plus fréquents dans la vie courante et aussi dans l’activité industrielle. On trouve dans la littérature de nombreuses études s’intéressant aux cuves de mélange pour en améliorer les performances à partir d’observations faites à grande échelle. Par contre, à notre connaissance, il y a peu de recherche sur l’hydrodynamique du mélange dans les fluides complexes. Dans notre travail, on étudie des fluides non-Newtoniens formés de solutions diluées de polymères caractérisés par leurs propriétés rhéofluidifiante et viscoélastique. Il s’agit de solutions aqueuses de Polyacrylamide (PAA) ou de la gomme de Xanthan (XG). Afin d’identifier la différence de comportement avec les fluides Newtoniens, une étude expérimentale avec de l’eau est effectuée dans les mêmes conditions que celles pour les fluides non-Newtoniens. Cette étude a été menée, en premier, sur un modèle réduit d’une cuve de mélange de Sanofi Pasteur. Les résultats obtenus, non représentés dans ce mémoire de thèse, nous ont amenés à mettre en place une étude fondamentale de l’écoulement dans un mélangeur de géométrie plus simple. Il s’agit alors de pouvoir contrôler les conditions initiales et de s’affranchir des effets secondaires de l’agitation pour ne s’intéresser qu’au mélange. Pour cela, la géométrie retenue est celle d’un mélangeur en T avec deux entrées perpendiculaires. L’exploration en 2D des champs de vitesse et de concentration de scalaire dans cette jonction en T est assurée simultanément aux moyens des techniques optiques (PIV et PLIF). Les observations montrent un effet non négligeable sur l’hydrodynamique et le mélange lié à la présence de polymères dans l’écoulement. De plus, les résultats obtenus permettent de calculer la tension de Reynolds uv et les flux de masse vc et uc. Ils seront utilisés par la suite pour vérifier leur conformité avec le modèle k epsilon couramment utilisé dans l’industrie. / This thesis presents an experimental study of the mixing in complex fluids which is conducted in partnership with Sanofi Pasteur. The mixture is one of the most common act in everyday life and also in industrial activities. We found in the literature many studies focusing on the mixing tanks with objective to improve performance based on observation of large scale. By cons, in our knowledge, there is few or no research on the hydrodynamics of a mixture in complex fluides. In our work, we study non-Newtonian fluids formed of diluted solution of polymer which characterized by their viscoelastic and shear thinning properties. We used in this study aqueous solutions of polyacrylamide (PAA) or xanthan gum (XG). To identify the difference in behavior with Newtonian fluid, an experimental study with water is carried out under the same conditions as those non-Newtonian fluids. At first, this study was on a reduced mixing tank of Sanofi Pasteur. The results, which not shown in this thesis, led us to develop a fundamental study of flow in a mixer with a simple geometry. The objective is to be able to control the initial conditions and to avoid the side effects of agitation to focus on the mixture. For this, we chose a mixer in a T shape with two perpendicular inputs. Exploring 2D velocity and scalar concentration fields in this T-junction is provided simultaneously of optical techniques (PIV and PLIF). Observations show a significant effect on the hydodynamic and mixture related to the presence of polymers in the flow. In addition, results are used to calculate the Reynolds stress uv and the scalar flux vc and uc. They will be used to check their compliance with the k epsilon model that commonly used in industry.

Les colonnes à bulles sont utilisées en minéralurgie et en traitement des eaux pour capturer différents types de particules. Leur capacité d’échange bénéficie aujourd’hui d’un regain d’intérêt pour assurer la production de micro-algues destinées à un usage médicinal, alimentaire, ou énergétique : les concentrations d’oxygène et de dioxyde de carbone peuvent être contrôlées grâce à la considérable aire interfaciale gaz-liquide dans la colonne à bulles. Une étude expérimentale en boucle fermée a été menée pour simuler le passage du gaz dans une succession de colonnes en série. Le modèle théorique associé confirme le rôle critique du diamètre des bulles lors du transfert de masse. Un générateur de micro-bulles (MBG) innovant a été conçu et testé. Le prototype est capable de produire des micro-bulles d’un diamètre moyen Dbubble = 0.252 mm. L’invention a été officiellement déclarée. Le dernier chapitre a pour objet l’amélioration des méthodes de traitement de Fluorescence Induite par Plan Laser (PLIF), qui permettent d’obtenir les coefficients de transfert de masse kl. La première correction présentée prend en compte les variations de l’extinction de la fluorescence due au pH pendant la calibration et a été évaluée sur une mesure de concentration de CO2 dans le sillage d’une bulle en ascension libre dans une colonne d’eau. La seconde correction proposée doit être appliquée quand la distance de la région de mesure où les variations de pH sont observées augmente. La nécessité de cette correction a été illustrée par un cas test dans le sillage d’un nuage de bulles en ascension libre dans une colonne d’eau / Bubble column are involved in many industrial fields ranging from chemical industry to mineral processing. It recently became an industrial stake for the production of micro-algae intended for medicinal use, food or energy: the oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations can be controlled via the efficient mass transfer induced by the significant gas-liquid interfaciale area into the bubble column. Firstly, experimental closed-loop study has been carried out to simulate the passage of gas in a succession of columns in series. The associated theoretical model confirms the critical importance of the bubble diameter for mass transfer.Therefore, an innovative Micro-Bubble Generator (MBG) has been designed and tested. The prototype is able to produce micro-bubbles of average diameter Dbubble = 0.252 mm. The invention has been officially declared. The last chapter aims at improving data treatment methods for Planar Laser-Induced Fluorescence (PLIF), which enables to obtain experimentally mass transfer coefficient kl through concentration measurements. The first presented correction takes into account variations of the fluorescence extinction due to pH during the calibration step, and has been evaluated on CO2 concentration measurement in the wake of a free rising bubble. The second proposed correction should be applied when the length in the measurement region over which pH variations are observed increases: variations of the extinction coefficient will affect the local incident light intensity and therefore the measurements. The need for this correction has been illustrated on a test case in the wake of a cloud of free rising bubbles

Pour mieux comprendre la combustion en mode stratifié, la propagation de flammes au sein de stratifications de richesse laminaire ou turbulente a été étudiée par des mesures simultanées de richesse et de vitesse effectuées par couplage de la PIV et de la PLIF. L’accent a été mis sur le développement de méthodes permettant d’améliorer la qualité des mesures locales. En particulier, un nouvel algorithme de PIV permettant la mesure locale de la vitesse des gaz frais véritablement à l’entrée de la zone de préchauffage a été développé. Pour améliorer la résolution,les mailles de calcul s’adaptent localement à la topologie de la flamme, pour tenir compte de la forme du front de flamme et de l’expansion des gaz. L’analyse statistique des mesures conditionnée sur la richesse locale a permis de caractériser les propriétés de la flamme soumise à une stratification de richesse dans un écoulement laminaire et turbulent, en particulier en mettant en évidence un effet mémoire. / In order to better understand the stratified combustion, the propagation of flame through stratified mixture field in laminar and turbulent flow conditions has been studied by using combined PIV/PLIF techniques. A great emphasis was placed on developing methods to improve the accuracy of local measurements of flame propagation. In particular, a new PIV approach has beendeveloped to measure the local fresh gas velocity near preheat zone of flame front. To improve the resolution of measurement, the shape of interrogation window has been continuously modified based on the local flame topology and gas expansion effect. Statistical analysis of conditioned local measurements by the local equivalence ratio of flames allows the characterization of theproperties of flame propagation subjected to the mixture stratification in laminar and turbulentflows, especially the highlight of the memory effect.