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Wavelength modulation spectroscopy near 5 \(\upmu\)m for carbon monoxide sensing in a high-pressure kerosene-fueled liquid rocket combustor

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Abstract

A laser absorption sensor was developed for carbon monoxide (CO) sensing in high-pressure, fuel-rich combustion gases associated with the internal conditions of hydrocarbon-fueled liquid bipropellant rockets. An absorption feature near 4.98 \(\upmu\)m, comprised primarily of two rovibrational lines from the P-branch of the fundamental band, was selected to minimize temperature sensitivity and spectral interference with other combustion gas species at the extreme temperatures (> 3000 K) and pressures (> 50 atm) in the combustion chamber environment. A scanned wavelength modulation spectroscopy technique (1f-normalized 2f detection) is utilized to infer species concentration from CO absorption, and mitigate the influence of non-absorption transmission losses and noise associated with the harsh sooting combustor environment. To implement the sensing strategy, a continuous-wave distributed-feedback (DFB) quantum cascade laser (QCL) was coupled to a hollow-core optical fiber for remote mid-infrared light delivery to the test article, with high-bandwidth light detection by a direct-mounted photovoltaic detector. The method was demonstrated to measure time-resolved CO mole fraction over a range of oxidizer-to-fuel ratios and pressures (20–70 atm) in a single-element-injector RP-2-GOx rocket combustor.

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Acknowledgements

This work was sponsored by the Air Force Research Laboratory in Edwards, CA under Award No. 16-EPA-RQ-09. The authors thank Dr. Ed Coy and Dr. Steve Danczyk of AFRL for their support in conducting field measurements.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA

    Daniel D. Lee, Fabio A. Bendana & R. Mitchell Spearrin

  2. U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Edwards Air Force Base, Kern County, CA, 93524, USA

    S. Alexander Schumaker

Authors
  1. Daniel D. Lee
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  2. Fabio A. Bendana
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  3. S. Alexander Schumaker
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  4. R. Mitchell Spearrin
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel D. Lee.

Additional information

This article is part of the topical collection “Mid-infrared and THz Laser Sources and Applications” guest edited by Wei Ren, Paolo De Natale and Gerard Wysocki.

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Lee, D.D., Bendana, F.A., Schumaker, S.A. et al. Wavelength modulation spectroscopy near 5 \(\upmu\)m for carbon monoxide sensing in a high-pressure kerosene-fueled liquid rocket combustor. Appl. Phys. B 124, 77 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-018-6945-6

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