Thispaperdescribestheeffectsofnon-equilibriumairplasmageneratedbyadielectricbarrierdischarge（DBD）onthecombustionoflowheatingvaluefuels.TheexperimentalresultsindicatethatadditionofaverysmallamountofenergytotheairflowintheformofDBDsignificantlyimprovestheflamestability.Moreover,maincombustioncharacteristicssuchasflamepropagationspeed,combustionintensityandleanblow-offlimitsarealsoenhancedbytheeffectofplasma.SomeactiveradicalssuchasexcitedOatomandexcitedN2moleculeareobservedbyspectrographinthedischargearea.BasedontheresultsofnumericalinvestigationwecanconcludethattheseactiveradicalsgeneratedindischargeareacanacceleratetheproductionrateofactiveOHradicalwhichplaysakeyroleintheoxidationprocessoflowheatingvaluefuel,andthusthewholecombustionprocessisaccelerated.
