Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
COMBUSTION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
Rising global energy demand is directly correlated with a persistent increase in environmental pollutant levels. Given the sustained growth of the aviation sector, reducing harmful emissions from diffusion flame combustion systems used in the afterburner section of gas turbine engines is extremely important. In this context, experimental and numerical research focused on minimizing emissions and enhancing combustion efficiency plays a critical role, necessitating the development of innovative solutions. This study experimentally investigates the effects of non-transferred Direct Current (DC) plasma application on a methane-based diffusion flame. Experimental findings revealed that applying a plasma power of 3.45 kW resulted in a notable decrease in flame tip temperature, $CO$CO, and $N{O_x}$NOx concentrations compared to conventional combustion conditions. The respective emission values decreased by 34.28% and 60.71%. In contrast, increasing the plasma power to 4.60 kW caused a 1% rise in flame temperature along with an increase in $CO$CO, $N{O_X}$NOX, and $C{O_2}$CO2 emissions. At even higher power levels, while $CO$CO emissions continued to increase, flame tip temperature, $N{O_X}$NOX, and $C{O_2}$CO2 levels were observed to decrease. Furthermore, the plasma application was found to have significant effects on flame morphology and dynamics. The plasma shortened the flame length by up to 29.68%, expanded the blue combustion zone, and increased the amplitude of flame oscillations. The bright zone, a characteristic sign of soot incandescence, is most intense in conventional (non-plasma) combustion, while in plasma-assisted combustion, it is significantly weakened at the first two power levels (3.45 kW and 4.60 kW) and then slightly strengthens again at higher plasma power levels.