CLS · RESEARCH AREAS
Understanding interactions among flames, flow and heat transfer to develop efficient, low-emission combustion for industrial and power systems.
From industrial kilns to internal combustion engines, combustion technology must balance stable operation, energy utilization and pollutant emissions. New fuels add complexity: changes in reactivity, mixing and heat transfer alter flame structure and operating limits. We study the underlying physical and chemical mechanisms to identify combustion strategies suited to different fuels, scales and loads.
Our published work covers ammonia combustion, soot formation in counterflow flames, staged and porous-media combustion, heat-recirculating burners and microscale combustion. It also includes a pure-ammonia ceramic roller-kiln demonstration and studies of engine combustion, emissions and knock. We combine fundamental flame experiments, optical diagnostics and numerical analysis to connect local reaction and heat-transfer processes with device performance.
We investigate swirl, staging, porous media and heat recirculation for ammonia, hydrogen and blended fuels. Research examines how recirculation, mixing and thermal feedback stabilize flames, and how composition and operating conditions affect stability limits, informing burner geometry and fuel delivery.
Building on pure-ammonia ceramic roller-kiln research, we examine how fuel substitution affects flame distribution, heat transfer and nitrogen emissions. Staging, air distribution and flue-gas measurements support strategies that meet thermal requirements while controlling emissions, with scope for extension to other high-temperature processes.
Drawing on engine-combustion, water-injection and hydrogen-enriched natural-gas studies, we examine how fuel properties, mixture preparation and in-cylinder thermal conditions affect combustion, knock and emissions. Future work for power and propulsion will explore matching alternative fuels with ignition and combustion-control strategies.
We study flame–wall thermal coupling, repeated extinction and ignition, and heat recirculation in confined spaces to understand how reduced scale affects stability and energy use. Hydrogen microcombustor research supports thermal integration with devices such as thermoelectric generators, while kinetic analysis explains local combustion and emissions.
Future research will connect fuel conversion with combustor design and explore hydrogen–ammonia fuels for industrial heating and power systems. For variable loads, fuel switching and complex flows, we will develop design methods supported by experimental diagnostics and reacting-flow simulations, and explore combustion control using real-time measurements. The aim is reliable operation with improved energy efficiency and reduced nitrogen oxides, unburned fuel and particulate emissions.
Demonstrates a pure-ammonia ceramic roller kiln, connecting combustion fundamentals with high-temperature industrial applications.
Combines staging and oxygen enrichment in porous-media ammonia combustion to address stability and emissions together.
Examines water-injection effects on combustion, emissions and knock in a boosted direct-injection gasoline engine.
Reviews soot formation in laminar counterflow flames, reflecting the team’s foundation in combustion-pollutant mechanisms.
Investigates hydrogen microcombustor design for portable thermoelectric generation, connecting combustion, heat transfer and energy conversion.
