Comparative testing of a novel microwave ignition source, the quarter wave coaxial cavity igniter

摘要

The performance of a novel microwave ignition source was experimentally tested against a standard multi-spark ignition system. Comparison of the combustion and detonation performance was measured. The growth of combustion kernels and the discharge pattern of the igniters were recorded using high-speed video cameras for visual comparison. The results showed that the transition of deflagration to detonation transition was comparable between the two ignition systems. Significant improvement in ignition of lean mixtures of ethylene and ethane were observed for the microwave ignition system over the baseline multi-spark ignition and thus should be considered for application as a lean ignition source.