M.Sc. Thomas Clauss

Contact

work +49 6151 16-28915

Work L1|08 114
Otto-Berndt-Str. 3
64287 Darmstadt

One of the greatest challenges of our time is the reduction of emissions while increasing the efficiency of energy converters such as internal combustion engines, gas turbines and power plants. Due to the still limited capabilities of alternatives, most of these machines will still rely on combustion for many years to come. Therefore, research in this field is more necessary than ever. In this perspective, my project is focused on the study of the combustion of fuels using quantitative laser-induced fluorescence (LIF).

LIF is a non-invasive optical measurement technique which can be used in complex environments and enables the determination of species and temperature distributions within combustion systems. The advantages of laser diagnostics are their non-invasive character as well as high spatial and temporal resolutions. In my work, LIF is applied to flames in order to quantify the hydroxyl radical (OH) which is an important intermediate species in combustion imaging. The study of this species makes it possible to improve the understanding of flame structures and the underlying chemical processes.

Furthermore, experimental results can be linked and compared to numerical models in order to improve both the knowledge as well as the predictability of combustion systems in the future.