Ignition of Propane–Air Mixtures by a Repetitively Pulsed Nanosecond Discharge

Results of an experimental study of the efficiency of the ignition of propane-air mixtures by a high voltage repetitively pulsed nanosecond gas discharge (10 kV, 10 ns, 30 kHz) are presented for the pressure range 0.35-2.0 bar. The measured minimal energy for ignition is found to decrease with the pressure. A significant reduction of the ignition delay and a decrease of the overall combustion duration were obtained by using a train of high-voltage pulses. Spectroscopic measurements in a 1-bar air just after a 10-pulse train (300 mus) of about 10 mJ in total energy show the presence of N, N
⁺
, O, and O
⁺
atomic species and a gas temperature increase up to 3000 K