Research Projects

Dilute combustion is essential for reducing environmental harmful substances and improving thermal efficiency, but high turbulence and stable ignition at high-flow fields are desirable due to reduced reactivity. Conventional ignition methods face challenges in these environments, including wear and tear of the spark plug and precise control on ignition timing due to large energy. High altitude relight in aircraft engines can also cause ignition failure, narrowing the flame stability margin. Plasma-assisted ignition/combustion is a technique that stimulates reaction rates and forms new reaction pathways by establishing non-equilibrium plasma, resulting in combustion enhancement. Nano-second plasma discharge (NSD) and microwave-enhanced laser induced plasma (LIP) techniques are methods used to generate non-equilibrium plasma. This proposed project aims to develop a compact, lightweight, independent/coupled plasma-assisted ignition and flame stabilization method for low-to-high speed combustion applications, such as advanced internal combustion engines, aircraft, and rocket engines. Experiments will be conducted to vary control parameters of plasma generation devices in both the closed volume combustion chamber (CVCC) and low-speed Bunsen burner. The independent/coupled ignition subsystem for the scramjet combustor will be made available with PI & group, IIT Madras, for hypersonic flight.