Spark-induced breakdown spectroscopy for fuel-air equivalence ratio measurements at internal combustion engine-relevant conditions

Highlights: • Optimized gating strategy found for atomic spectral emissions acquisition. • Pressure and temperature change at constant density do not alter spectral emissions. • Spectral features correlate with fuel-air equivalence ratio and pressure. • Possibility for running engine application of the SIBS technique is envisaged. -- Abstract: Spark-induced Breakdown Spectroscopy was used for local fuel-air equivalence ratio measurements of premixed methane-air mixtures by a discharge from an inductive ignition system in a constant volume cell. Elemental emissions of hydrogen Balmer-alpha line (H_α), nitrogen (N₇₄₆) and oxygen (O₇₇₇) were experimentally observed in the vicinity of the electrode gap, using a lens-coupled spectrometer and an intensified camera. After optimization of the gating strategy, the spectral emission features, i.e. line intensity ratios and peaks width (full width at half maximum) ratios were analyzed and their relation with the local fuel-air equivalence ratio at the spark plug was discussed, for operating pressures ranging from 10 to 20 bar. Results showed that a change in pressure and temperature did not affect the spectral emissions' atomic peaks ratios, as long as the density was kept constant. For tests at constant temperature and at constant pressure, the peaks intensity ratios showed a linear correlation with local fuel-air equivalence ratio, while peaks width did not show noticeable changes. When pressure was varied, while keeping temperature and fuel-air equivalence ratio constant, a different behavior was observed: peaks intensity ratio were only slightly affected by pressure change, more prominently at fuel-rich conditions, while a peak broadening was clearly recognizable, as the peak width linearly increased with pressure. Moreover, an additional optical setup involving a fiber-optic spark plug was implemented with the aim to adapt the proposed diagnostic tool to engines in operando. Comparisons with the lens setup showed that the developed technique is promising as a compact and versatile tool for applications involving local fuel-air equivalence ratio measurements at different ambient conditions.