A comparative study has been performed in order to quantify the
signal-to-background ratio of Raman measurements in fuel-rich
flames using pulsed laser radiation at 532, 489, 355 and 266 nm.
For the comparison, spectra were recorded in stable
premixed, sooting and non-sooting C2H4/air flames
with equivalence ratios of ϕ = 1.58, 1.92 and 2.0. The
spectra show that the background, consisting mainly of
laser-induced emissions from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
and from C2 radicals, changes significantly with the laser
wavelength. Although the Raman cross sections increase at
shorter wavelength the signal-to-background ratio in the flames
investigated is clearly the best for λ = 532 nm and the
worst for λ = 266 nm. The presented results show the
potential and limitations of concentration measurements by
laser Raman scattering in fuel-rich flames and are a valuable
aid for the decision of what laser system should be used for
measurements in laboratory or practical flames.
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