Karapateas, L. orcid.org/0009-0008-0012-5504, Leonidas, E. orcid.org/0000-0002-6448-0467, Meng, X. orcid.org/0009-0003-6794-4807 et al. (4 more authors) (2025) InAsSb photodiode-based infrared radiation thermometer for the investigation of droplet surface temperature dynamics within an enclosed combustion chamber. Sensors, 25 (18). 5780. ISSN: 1424-8220
Abstract
This study presents a novel approach to analysing the early stages of the combustion process by measuring the surface temperature of a kerosene droplet from its point of ignition through to its evaporation. An indium arsenide antimonide (InAsSb) photodiode-based infrared radiation thermometer (IRT), operating between 3 μm and 11 μm in wavelength, was designed to enable non-contact, low-temperature sensing with an acquisition time of 500 μs. Integrated with a data acquisition unit (DAQ), the instrument captures the transient combustion stages occurring below the droplet’s boiling point of 300 °C. The instrument was assessed against industry standards and demonstrated a measurement uncertainty of ±2 °C, confirming suitability within the performance bounds of commercial instrumentation. The IRT was deployed to measure the temperature of a kerosene droplet within an enclosed combustion chamber upon ignition, in direct comparison with a contact thermocouple. The instrument demonstrated its capability to measure the droplet’s surface temperature changes throughout its early-stage combustion. Furthermore, the wavelength specificity of the IRT eliminates thermal interference from the subsequent flame, a capability which contact thermocouples lack, thereby enabling measurement of the droplet’s temperature in isolation. This study focuses on single-droplet Jet A kerosene combustion under controlled conditions, using a transferable methodology adaptable to other fuels and environments. It supports the use of IRT for non-contact temperature measurement of fuel droplets and early-stage combustion, aiding fuel characterisation and the development of future fuels such as SAF.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2025 by the authors. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | combustion; fuel droplet; InAsSb photodiode; infrared radiation thermometer; flame dynamics |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of Sheffield |
Academic Units: | The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering (Sheffield) The University of Sheffield > Faculty of Engineering (Sheffield) > School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council EP/S022635/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Sheffield |
Date Deposited: | 26 Sep 2025 09:40 |
Last Modified: | 26 Sep 2025 09:40 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | MDPI AG |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.3390/s25185780 |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:232136 |