Role of the hydroxyl radical in soot formation

The goal of this project is to determine the role of the hydroxyl radical during formation of soot. Correlations will be sought between OH concentration and (1) the critical equivalence ratio for incipient soot formation and (2) soot yield as a function of higher equivalence ratios. The ultimate aim is the development of a quasi-global kinetic model for the pre-particulate chemistry leading to soot nucleation. Hydroxyl radical concentration profiles are measured directly in both laminar premixed and diffusion flames using the newly developed technique, laser saturated fluorescence (LSF). This method is capable of measuring OH in the presence of soot particles. Aliphatic and aromatic fuels will be used to assess the influence of fuel type on soot formation. The influence of flame temperature on the critical equivalence ratio and soot yield will be related to changes in the OH concentration profiles. LSF measurements will be augmented with auxiliary measurements of soot and PAH concentrations to allow the development of a quasi-global model for soot formation.