A Medial Axis Extraction Algorithm for the Processing of Combustion Flame Images

The quantitative characterization of combustion flames has long been an important but challenging issue both in combustion research and industrial applications. The shape of a flame is recognized as one of most useful characteristics in the adjustment of combustion parameters. Although medial axis is a useful shape representation of a flame, limited work has been reported on how to extract the medial axis of the flame. This paper describes an efficient algorithm, Horizontally-Cut Medial Axis (HCMA) algorithm, to detect the medial axis of an elongated flame. Experimental results indicate that the algorithm can determine the medial axis efficiently without any complex pruning process. Potential applications of flame medial axes on the flame shape representation are also discussed.