| Emissions from automobiles are becoming more of an environmental concern. Typical measures for controlling emissions, such as variable timing, after-treatment, and alternative fuels have been investigated. Current research has involved manipulating the ignition inside of the combustion chamber. It has been demonstrated that a plasma flame can be generated from microwaves in a Quarter Wave Coaxial Cavity Resonator (QWCCR). By using this technology, as well as developing an interface to an automobile's ignition system, it may become possible for researchers to sustain combustion in a modern internal combustion engine.; Filling each plasma cavity with a dielectric medium can both alter electromagnetic properties and provide a protective barrier to the harsh condition inside of a combustion cylinder. It is the purpose of this thesis is to investigate advantageous effects of using different dielectrics in the QWCCR, through both experimental and computational means. A variety of dielectrics including High Density Polyethylene, Polysulfone, Teflon, Polyvinylchloride, and Ceramic Alumina have been measured, and these results are compared to computation results via the Finite Difference Time Domain (FTDT) method. Dielectrics h... |
