FLAME EMISSION-SPECTROSCOPY FOR EQUIVALENCE RATIO MONITORING

The dependence of UV-visible emission characteristics in hydrocarbon f lames as a function of flame equivalence ratio and total flow rate is examined for low-pressure acetylene/oxygen flames used for materials s ynthesis and for atmospheric-pressure methane/air flames typically see n in industrial boilers and heaters. In both flames, the OH and CH emi ssion features show significantly different variations with respect to changes in equivalence ratio, while variations with changes in total flow rate are nearly identical. These results suggest that flame emiss ion spectroscopy can be used as a sensitive, on-line process diagnosti c for equivalence ratio monitoring in flame reactors.