Abstract

Ignition sparks of cryogenic hydrogen and methane rocket combustions were investigated using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) and other optical methods. Plasma temperature, ignition time, and combustion performance were directly deduced from measurements of inner combustion chamber processes. The local equivalence ratio of oxygen and fuel (ROF) within the laser focal point was derived from calibration measurements of well-defined gas mixtures inside a laboratory-scale cavity.

© 2017 Optical Society of America