3D flame topography obtained by tomographic chemiluminescence with direct comparison to planar Mie scattering measurements

This work reports the measurements of 3D flame topography using tomographic chemiluminescence and its validation by direct comparison against planar Mie scattering measurements. Tomographic measurements of the 3D topography of various well-controlled laboratory flames were performed using projections measured by seven cameras, and a simultaneous Mie scattering measurement was performed to measure a 2D cross section of the 3D flame topography. The tomographic measurements were based on chemiluminescence emissions from the flame, and the Mie scattering measurements were based on micrometer-size oil droplets seeded into the flow. The flame topography derived from the 3D tomographic and the Mie scattering measurement was then directly compared. The results show that the flame topography obtained from tomographic chemiluminescence and the Mie measurement agreed qualitatively (i.e., both methods yielded the same profile of the flame fronts), but a quantitative difference on the order of millimeters was observed between these two methods. These results are expected to be useful for understanding the capabilities and limitations of the 3D tomographic and Mie scattering techniques in combustion diagnostics.