Motivation

While computers and electronics have revolutionized the way we live and access information, we still generate our electricity, heat our homes and power our vehicles using the same power source utilized by the cavemen: fire!  In fact, despite efforts to develop and utilize renewable energy sources, 85% of all energy consumed in the United States is derived from the combustion of fossil fuels. Moreover, the combustion of liquid petroleum-based fossil fuels accounts for 39% of all energy consumption, and an astounding 97% of energy consumption in the transportation sector.  Fossil fuels not only have a finite supply, but the combustion of these fuels is the major source of air pollutants such as soot, NOx, and SOx.  In short, combustion impacts a wide variety of areas relevant to practicing engineers. Unfortunately, very few practicing engineers have had the opportunity to learn about combustion.

This course presents the concepts of chemically reacting systems (flames) along with many practical applications. Topics include:

• chemical equilibrium,
• chemical kinetics,
• premixed laminar flames,
• detonations,
• diffusion flames and
• environmental issues.

Instructor:

Anthony J. Marchese, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
College of Engineering
Rowan University
201 Mullica Hill Road
Glassboro, NJ 08028-1701

Office: 235 Rowan Hall
Email address: marchese@rowan.edu
Telephone: (609) 256-5343
Fax:              (609) 256-5241

Office Hours: Tuesday, 3:30 - 5:30 p.m.

Technical Objectives
Combustion refers to the study of chemically reacting fluid systems. Thus, this course utilizes all of the fundamental tools acquired during the study of Chemistry, Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer, and Fluid Mechanics. Upon completion of this course, each student will be able to:

• Calculate adiabatic flame temperatures using the concepts of chemical equilibrium.
• Derive the Arrhenius rate expression from simple kinetic theory.
• Explain the explosion limits of the hydrogen/oxygen system using chemical kinetic arguments.
• Qualitatively explain the chemical oxidation mechanism of alcohols, alkanes and aromatics.
• Assemble detailed chemical kinetic mechanisms and model zero and one-dimensional chemically reacting systems.
• Calculate premixed laminar flame speed using phenomenological arguments and the Frank-Kamenetskii solution.
• Calculate detonation velocity and explain the structure of detonation waves.
• Determine the burning rate of a liquid fuel droplet.
• Explain the formation mechanisms of NO_x and soot.

Last updated: September 6, 1999