Near Infra-Red Absorption Tomography for Measurement of Chemical Species Distribution

S.J. Carey1, H. McCann1, D.E. Winterbone2 and E. Clough2

1Dept. of Electrical Engineering & Electronics, UMIST, M60 1QD

2Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, UMIST, M60 1QD

HMcC and SJC are members of the Virtual Centre for Industrial Process Tomography

Abstract - The spatial distribution of chemical species can be a critical determinant of the performance of chemical reactors. One such reactor is the combustion chamber of the Internal Combustion engine. This paper presents a design for the measurement of hydrocarbon concentration distribution within a running engine using Near Infra-Red absorption tomography. The fundamentals of the technique, and design parameters for the equipment are discussed. By utilising micro-optic components, a minimally invasive system is feasible and by utilising advanced laser/photodetector combinations, good temporal performance is anticipated.

Keywords: tomography, combustion, infra-red, spectroscopy