ABSTRACT
Progress to develop and apply laser-based diagnostics to combustion pro blems is proceeding at a rapid pace. Since the first Gordon Research Conference on Laser Diagnostics for Combustion in 1981, there has been incredible development and application of laser-based tools to com bustion problems. We have attempted here to summarize the current stateof-the-art and highlight the current unsolved problems. Three overall themes emerge. First, a suite of diagnostics using several different laserbased tools is commonly applied to obtain simultaneous measurements of a wide variety of combustion parameters, and such suites of measurements are used to develop sound understanding. Second, sufficient understanding of basic combustion phenomena has developed for many applications, which enables the possibility for combustion control. Each application has its own control goal (e.g., emissions, efficiency, thrust, soot, and so on); however, the common theme suggests that measurement strategies provide the basis for control sensors that provide data for timely control decisions. Third, the combustion research community aggressively applies emerging technology (e.g., laser sources, cameras, detectors, and compu ters) to enable the development of new diagnostics tools. Such new tech nology can provide evolution or even revolution in the development of combustion diagnostics depending on the character of the technology advance.
