Numerical Study of the Threshold Intensity Dependence on Wavelength in Laser Spark Ignition of Molecular Hydrogen Combustion

Kholoud A. Hamam, Galila Abdellatif, Yosr E. E.-D. Gamal

Department of physics, Girl’s Faculty of Science, King Abdul-Aziz University, Jeddah, KSA..
National Institute of Laser Enhanced Science-Cairo University, El-Giza, Egypt..
Physics Department, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.

DOI: 10.4236/jmp.2013.43042                

Abstract

A numerical investigation of laser wavelength dependence on the threshold intensity of spark ignition in molecular hydrogen over a wide pressure range is presented. A modified electron cascade model (Gamal et al., 1993) is applied under the experimental conditions that carried out by Phuoc (2000) to determine the threshold intensity dependence on gas pressure for spark ignition in hydrogen combustion using two laser wavelengths namely; 1064 nm and 532 nm. The model involves the solution of the time dependent Boltzmann equation for the electron energy distribution function (EEDF) and a set of rate equations that describe the change of the formed excited molecules population. The model takes into account most of the physical processes that expected to occur in the interaction region. The results showed good agreement between the calculated thresholds for spark ignition and those measured ones for both wavelengths, where the threshold intensities corresponding to the short wavelength (532 nm) are found to be higher than those calculated for the longer one (1064 nm). This result indicates the depletion of the high density of low energy electrons generated through multi-photon ionization at the short wavelength via electron diffusion and vibrational excitation. The study of the EEDF and its parameters (viz, the temporal evolution of: the electron density, ionization rate electron mean energy, …) revealed the important role played by each physical process to the spark ignition as a function of both laser wavelength and gas pressure. More over the study of the time variation of the EEDF explains the characteristics of the ignited spark at the two wavelengths for the tested pressure values.

Keywords

Laser Wavelength; Hydrogen Gas; Threshold Intensity; Electron Energy Distribution Function; Combustion; Spark Ignition

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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