Measurement of axisymmetric temperature fields using reference beam and shearing interferometry for application to flames

A unified methodology for the application of reference beam and shearing interferometry to measure axisymmetric temperature fields within flames is proposed. Sensitivity and accuracy of the techniques are analyzed basing on interferograms of reference temperature profiles and CARS measurements obtained in test laminar flames. The rapid decay of temperature measurements accuracy with increasing both intensity of errors sources and uncertainty on independent parameters is assessed. The spatial variation of mixture composition in diffusive combusting flows requires the application of complementary methods to obtain a satisfactory accuracy, while flow fields with lean premixed combustion can be treated as optically-homogeneous media. The temperature maps resulting from the investigation of the test laminar flames are presented and discussed. The capability to disclose the thermal structure and to provide reliable quantitative data is demonstrated. © Springer-Verlag 2000.