Towards the mechanism of DC electric field effect on flat premixed flames

The influence of a DC electric field on CH 4/air flat flame characteristics was experimentally investigated. To understand the mechanism of the electric field influence on a flame a number of experiments were conducted: measurements of the flame burning velocities using the heat flux method, OH LIF measurements and measurements of the flame emission spectra. Two alternative explanations were proposed for an apparent increase in the burning rate induced by the electric field with positive polarity.