Feasibility analysis of investigation on effects of electric fields on combustion using ion current method

The ion current method was used to analyse the effects of electric fields on methane/air combustion in a constant volume bomb. The ion current as a characteristic parameter was obtained under different applied voltage(0-5, kV). Combustion pressure was regarded as another characteristic parameter. The two parameters were used to analyse the effects of electric fields on methane/air combustion. The results acquired by the two methods and optical method are exactly the same. The effects of electric fields on combustion increase with the increase in the applied voltage; the effects under lean combustion conditions are most obvious, followed by rich combustion, and equivalent ratio combustion. And the correlation coefficient of the two characteristic parameters is above 0. 95. The above results can provide a theoretical base for the ion current method in studing the effects of electric fields on combustion. Moreover, this method is simple and highly accurate.