The Effects of Electric Fields on Flame Propagation of Homogeneous Hydrogen-Air Mixture

The flame propagation behavior of homogeneous hydrogen-air mixture under application of high-voltage uniform or non-uniform electric field was explored by using combustion vessel. When a uniform electric field was applied, two plate electrodes were attached to ceiling and bottom of combustion chamber and, to apply a non-uniform electric field, an electrode in ceiling was needle-shaped and an electrode in bottom was plate-shaped. The positive or negative polarity DC high voltage was applied for an electrode in ceiling. When a positive polarity non-uniform electric field was applied to the mixture at any equivalence ratios and the input voltage was higher than 12 kV, the flame propagation was enhanced in the downward direction. This is because the corona wind was generated from the tip of needle-shaped electrode to grounded electrode by the brush corona. However, a negative polarity non-uniform electric field was applied, for any equivalence ratios, the combustion was not affected even if the input voltage of 16 kV was applied, because the corona wind was not generated in case of a negative polarity. When a positive polarity uniform electric field was applied, the flame propagation was almost the same as the conventional combustion for any equivalence ratios.