The effect of initial diameter on rainbow positions and temperature distributions of burning single-component n-Alkane droplets

The effect of initial diameter on rainbow positions of burning single-component n-Alkane droplets has been investigated experimentally for the first time. The droplet diameters are determined with interferometric laser imaging for droplet sizing, and the temperature distributions inside burning droplets are assessed by rainbow refractometry together with a droplet combustion model developed in our previous work. Temperature gradients inside burning droplets influence rainbow positions, which first make the experimental scattering angles of the rainbow maxima increase and then decrease. The variations of initial diameter lead to variations of both experimental rainbow maxima and simulated temperature of n-Alkane burning droplets. (C) 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.