Soot formation and evolution in relation with the flow fields were investigated experimentally in turbulent swirl-stabilized non-premixed flames using three different fuels: methane, ethanol and aviation Jet A-1. The studied flames were confined and stabilized in a model gas turbine combustor with a swirl number of ~0.55. Soot volume fraction, fv, and primary soot particle size, dp, were measured using auto-compensating laser-induced incandescence, and planar three-component velocity fields were measured using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry. Measurements of planar laser-induced fluorescence of OH and OH* chemiluminescence were also made for methane and ethanol flames. The OH* field was further Abel-inverted to qualitatively locate the heat release zone. The flow field for all flames featured pronounced inner and outer recirculation zones (IRZ, ORZ), each bounded by their corresponding inner and outer shear layers (ISL, OSL). Abel-inverted OH* intensity maps showed that primary reaction zones occurred in the vicinity of ISL. The central fuel jet penetrating into the IRZ accompanied by a stagnation zone was observed in all methane flames. Soot measurements showed that the overall dp for methane and Jet A-1 flames ranged between 30 nm and 60 nm without discernible trends. In methane flames, peak time-averaged fv occurred between the central jet penetration and the ISL. The decrease and the final disappearance of time-averaged fv were strongly correlated with elevated OH, demonstrating a dominant oxidative attack of OH on soot. With a ~7% increase in air flow rate, the level of soot volume fraction dropped by nearly threefold due to enhanced turbulence intermittency. The appearance of ethanol spray flames, which lacked a bright yellow color, largely differed from others. The absence of soot was confirmed in the laser-induced incandescence measurements. The isothermal flow field of ethanol flames exhibited a large-scale structure of precessing vortex core which was then suppressed under reacting conditions. In Jet A-1 flames, spray pattern changed from V-shaped hollow cone to semi-solid cone when air flow rate increased by 20%, resulting in a 60% reduction in peak time-averaged fv. In contrast to results obtained from the methane flame, soot was found primarily outside the ISL where fuel existed in abundance.

An experimental study was conducted using axisymmetric co-flow laminar diffusion flames of methane-air, methane-oxygen and ethylene-air to examine the effect of pressure on soot formation and the structure of the temperature field. A liquid fuel burner was designed and built to observe the sooting behavior of methanol-air and n-heptane-air laminar diffusion flames at elevated pressures up to 50 atm. A non-intrusive, line-of-sight spectral soot emission (SSE) diagnostic technique was used to determine the temperature and the soot volume fraction of methane-air flames up to 60 atm, methane-oxygen flames up to 90 atm and ethylene-air flames up to 35 atm. The physical flame structure of the methane-air and methane-oxygen diffusion flames were characterized over the pressure range of 10 to 100 atm and up to 35 atm for ethylene-air flames. The flame height, marked by the visible soot radiation emission, remained relatively constant for methane-air and ethylene-air flames over their respected pressure ranges, while the visible flame height for the methane-oxygen flames was reduced by over 50 % between 10 and 100 atm. During methane-air experiments, observations of anomalous occurrence of liquid material formation at 60 atm and above were recorded. The maximum conversion of the carbon in the fuel to soot exhibited a strong power-law dependence on pressure. At pressures 10 to 30 atm, the pressure exponent is approximately 0.73 for methane-air flames. At higher pressures, between 30 and 60 atm, the pressure exponent is approximately 0.33. The maximum fuel carbon conversion to soot is 12.6 % at 60 atm. For methane-oxygen flames, the pressure exponent is approximately 1.2 for pressures between 10 and 40 atm. At pressures between 50 and 70 atm, the pressure exponent is about -3.8 and approximately -12 for 70 to 90 atm. The maximum fuel carbon conversion to soot is 2 % at 40 atm. For ethylene-air flames, the pressure exponent is approximately 1.4 between 10 and 30 atm. The maximum carbon conversion to soot is approximately 6.5 % at 30 atm and remained constant at higher pressures.

Our interest in Mulhouse for carbon black and soot began some 30 years ago when J.B. Donnet developed the concept of surface chemistry of carbon and its involvement in interactions with gas, liquid and solid phases. In the late sixties, we began to study soot formation in pyrolytic systems and later on in flames. The idea of organ1z1ng a meeting on soot formation originated some four or five years ago, through discussions among Professor J.B. Howard, Dr. A. D'Alessio and ourselves. At that time the scientific community was becoming aware of the necessity to strictly control soot formation and emission. Being involved in the study of surface properties of carbon black as well as of formation of soot, we realized that the combustion community was not always fully aware of the progress made by the physical-chemists on carbon black. Reciprocally, the carbon specialists were often ignoring the research carried out on soot in flames. One objective of this workshop was to stimulate discussions between these two scientific communities. During the preparation of the meeting, and especially during the review process by the Material Science Committee of the Scientific Affairs Division of N.A.T.O. the toxicological aspect emerged as being an important component to be addressed during the workshop. To reflect these preoccupations we invited biologists, physical chemists and engineers, all leaders in their field. The final programme is a compromise of the different aspects of the subject and was divided in five sessions.

An experimental study was conducted using axisymmetric co-flow laminar diffusion flames of methane-air, methane-oxygen and ethylene-air to examine the effect of pressure on soot formation and the structure of the temperature field. A liquid fuel burner was designed and built to observe the sooting behavior of methanol-air and n-heptane-air laminar diffusion flames at elevated pressures up to 50 atm. A non-intrusive, line-of-sight spectral soot emission (SSE) diagnostic technique was used to determine the temperature and the soot volume fraction of methane-air flames up to 60 atm, methane-oxygen flames up to 90 atm and ethylene-air flames up to 35 atm. The physical flame structure of the methane-air and methane-oxygen diffusion flames were characterized over the pressure range of 10 to 100 atm and up to 35 atm for ethylene-air flames. The flame height, marked by the visible soot radiation emission, remained relatively constant for methane-air and ethylene-air flames over their respected pressure ranges, while the visible flame height for the methane-oxygen flames was reduced by over 50 % between 10 and 100 atm. During methane-air experiments, observations of anomalous occurrence of liquid material formation at 60 atm and above were recorded. The maximum conversion of the carbon in the fuel to soot exhibited a strong power-law dependence on pressure. At pressures 10 to 30 atm, the pressure exponent is approximately 0.73 for methane-air flames. At higher pressures, between 30 and 60 atm, the pressure exponent is approximately 0.33. The maximum fuel carbon conversion to soot is 12.6 % at 60 atm. For methane-oxygen flames, the pressure exponent is approximately 1.2 for pressures between 10 and 40 atm. At pressures between 50 and 70 atm, the pressure exponent is about -3.8 and approximately -12 for 70 to 90 atm. The maximum fuel carbon conversion to soot is 2 % at 40 atm. For ethylene-air flames, the pressure exponent is approximately 1.4 between 10 and 30 atm. The maximu.