Optical diagnostics on transient plasma ignition

Summary form only given. Plasma in a formative or transient phase, when used to ignite fuel/air mixtures, has been shown to improve combustion compared to traditional spark ignition. The mechanisms behind the improvements of transient plasma ignition (TPI), however, are not yet well understood. To further this understanding optical experiments, including OES and LIF, were carried out on TPI to measure plasma properties and active species concentrations. Results are presented discussed for air and combustible mixtures and future experiments are proposed to better the understanding of the mechanisms behind TPI.