A method to convert stand-alone OH fluorescence images into OH mole fraction

Due to the accessibility of the planar laser-induced fluorescence technique, images of OH fluorescence intensity are often used to study the structure of turbulent flames. However, there are differences between the measured OH fluorescence intensity and the actual OH mole fraction. These are often neglected because accurate conversion from fluorescence to mole fraction requires the combined knowledge of all major species mole fractions and temperature, which was rarely achieved in 2-D. Here, a new method to convert images of OH fluorescence intensity into OH mole fraction is proposed. This model relies only on inexpensive 1-D laminar flame calculations and does not require information on major species or temperature. The primary assumption behind the applicability of this model is the local approximation of multi-dimensional flames with 1-D counterflow flames. The method utilizes the fact that both OH mole fraction and OH fluorescence intensity profiles are self-similar with pressure and scalar dissipation rate. Only two empirical constants need to be calibrated using 1-D laminar flame calculations. The model was validated using computed 2-D axisymmetric laminar flames and 3-D turbulent flames computed with LES. The accuracy of the conversion model was estimated to about 8% (for Reynolds number up to Re =66,800), which includes errors due to the 3-D effects that are not included in this method relying on 2-D images. As a proof of concept, the conversion model was finally applied to one single-shot image of OH fluorescence intensity measured with OH-PLIF for syngas at P=4 and Re =16,700 demonstrating potential applications of this new method. The method was tested for hydrogen, syngas and methane fuels but, for brevity, only syngas results are reported in detail.