Investigation of the Effects of Applying Cold Plasma on the Flame Speed and Reduction of Fuel Pollution

The aim of this paper is the numerical analysis of the effects of cold plasma obtained from applying electric field on the parameters of combustion and its pollutants and comparing the results with experimental works. The main method for doing this study is the use of influencing parameters and variables such as temperature, voltage, and the variables dependent on the fuel. The results obtained from simulations and tests indicate that the positivity of the central electrode potential leads to increase the flame temperature in the combustion chamber and wall proximity, which means the flame is getting closer to the wall. For this reason, heat transfer to the chamber wall increases in this state. The electric field causes creating a negative acceleration in the chamber center. By increasing the power of positive electric field, the flame temperature in the chamber center decreases and causes the flame length to be shortened. By applying the field, it was specified that the percentage change of index pollutants (i.e. carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides such as nitrogen monoxide) are decreased %6 and 8 %, respectively. In the negative polarity and the chamber exhaust, because of the swirl effect the axial velocity is partly reduced. In an electric field of 3 kV and positive polarity, heat transfer to the walls is about 52 % greater than the condition without electric field.