Combustion Physics

This graduate-level text incorporates these advances in a comprehensive treatment of the fundamental principles of combustion physics. The presentation emphasises analytical proficiency and physical insight, with the former achieved through complete, though abbreviated, derivations at different levels of rigor, and the latter through physical interpretations of analytical solutions, experimental observations, and computational simulations. Exercises are mostly derivative in nature in order to further strengthen the student's mastery of the theory. Implications of the fundamental knowledge gained herein on practical phenomena are discussed whenever appropriate. These distinguishing features provide a solid foundation for an academic program in combustion science and engineering.

Explore a thorough overview of the current knowledge, developments and outstanding challenges in turbulent combustion and application.

This book provides the latest achievements and original research work in physics of combustion processes and application of the methods developed in combustion physics for astrophysical problems of stars burning, supernovae explosions and a confined thermonuclear fusion. All the materials in the book are presented in a concise and easily accessible way, but at the same time provides a deep physical inside in the phenomena considered. It is an effective theoretical course with the direct practical implications in engineering fields of engine’s development, energy production, safety issues inherent to terrestrial combustion, as well as in thermonuclear combustion in the inertial fusion. This book is aimed at university students, Ph.D. students and engineers, as well as professionals in combustion, energy-related research, astrophysics and researchers in neighboring fields.

Most of the material covered in this book deals with the fundamentals of chemistry and physics of key processes and fundamental mechanisms for various combustion and combustion related phenomena in gaseous combustible mixture. It provides the reader with basic knowledge of burning processes and mechanisms of reaction wave propagation. The combustion of a gas mixture (flame, explosion, detonation) is necessarily accompanied by motion of the gas. The process of combustion is therefore not only a chemical phenomenon but also one of gas dynamics. The material selection focuses on the gas phase and with premixed gas combustion. Premixed gas combustion is of practical importance in engines, modern gas turbine and explosions, where the fuel and air are essentially premixed, and combustion occurs by the propagation of a front separating unburned mixture from fully burned mixture. Since premixed combustion is the most fundamental and potential for practical applications, the emphasis in the present work is be placed on regimes of premixed combustion. This text is intended for graduate students of different specialties, including physics, chemistry, mechanical engineering, computer science, mathematics and astrophysics.

Developing clean, sustainable energy systems is a pre-eminent issue of our time. Most projections indicate that combustion-based energy conversion systems will continue to be the predominant approach for the majority of our energy usage. Unsteady combustor issues present the key challenge associated with the development of clean, high-efficiency combustion systems such as those used for power generation, heating or propulsion applications. This comprehensive study is unique, treating the subject in a systematic manner. Although this book focuses on unsteady combusting flows, it places particular emphasis on the system dynamics that occur at the intersection of the combustion, fluid mechanics and acoustic disciplines. Individuals with a background in fluid mechanics and combustion will find this book to be an incomparable study that synthesises these fields into a coherent understanding of the intrinsically unsteady processes in combustors.

Throughout its previous four editions, Combustion has made a very complex subject both enjoyable and understandable to its student readers and a pleasure for instructors to teach. With its clearly articulated physical and chemical processes of flame combustion and smooth, logical transitions to engineering applications, this new edition continues that tradition. Greatly expanded end-of-chapter problem sets and new areas of combustion engineering applications make it even easier for students to grasp the significance of combustion to a wide range of engineering practice, from transportation to energy generation to environmental impacts. Combustion engineering is the study of rapid energy and mass transfer usually through the common physical phenomena of flame oxidation. It covers the physics and chemistry of this process and the engineering applications—including power generation in internal combustion automobile engines and gas turbine engines. Renewed concerns about energy efficiency and fuel costs, along with continued concerns over toxic and particulate emissions, make this a crucial area of engineering. New chapter on new combustion concepts and technologies, including discussion on nanotechnology as related to combustion, as well as microgravity combustion, microcombustion, and catalytic combustion—all interrelated and discussed by considering scaling issues (e.g., length and time scales) New information on sensitivity analysis of reaction mechanisms and generation and application of reduced mechanisms Expanded coverage of turbulent reactive flows to better illustrate real-world applications Important new sections on stabilization of diffusion flames—for the first time, the concept of triple flames will be introduced and discussed in the context of diffusion flame stabilization

This book focuses on developing strategies for ultra-lean combustion of natural gas and hydrogen, and contributes to the research on extending the lean flammability limit of hydrogen and air using a hot supersonic jet. The author addresses experimental methods, data analysis techniques, and results throughout each chapter and: Explains the fundamental mechanisms behind turbulent hot jet ignition using non-dimensional analysis Explores ignition characteristics by impinging hot jet and multiple jets in relation to better controllability and lean combustion Explores how different instability modes interact with the acoustic modes of the combustion chamber. This book provides a potential answer to some of the issues that arise from lean engine operation, such as poor ignition, engine misfire, cycle-to-cycle variability, combustion instability, reduction in efficiency, and an increase in unburned hydrocarbon emissions. This thesis was submitted to and approved by Purdue University.

This book deals with unsteady combustor issues, which have posed key challenges associated with development of clean, high-efficiency combustion systems.