Research Themes
Oxy-Fuel Combustion & Carbon Capture
A primary focus of our lab is mitigating greenhouse gas emissions from power generation. We investigate oxy-fuel combustion, where fuel is burned in a near-pure oxygen environment rather than air. This produces a flue gas with high CO2 concentration, drastically simplifying the process of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS). Our work involves high-fidelity simulations to optimize burner design and improve the efficiency of this promising technology.
Keywords: Oxy-fuel, Carbon Capture (CCS), Pulverized Coal, CFD, Emissions Reduction
Ammonia Co-firing for Decarbonization
As a carbon-free hydrogen carrier, ammonia is emerging as a critical fuel for decarbonizing the energy sector. We explore the complex physics of co-firing ammonia with traditional fuels like coal. Our research tackles challenges such as combustion stability, flame propagation, and NOx emissions, using advanced numerical models to understand how to effectively integrate ammonia into existing and future energy systems.
Keywords: Ammonia Combustion, Alternative Fuels, Decarbonization, NOx Formation, Co-firing
Advanced Flamelet Modeling & Simulation
Underpinning all our research is the development and application of state-of-the-art computational models. We specialize in Large Eddy Simulation (LES) coupled with multi-dimensional flamelet models (FPV-LES). This approach allows us to accurately capture the intricate turbulence-chemistry interactions that govern combustion, from ignition to pollutant formation, with a level of detail that is essential for predictive and reliable simulations.
Keywords: Large Eddy Simulation (LES), Flamelet Progress Variable (FPV), Turbulence-Chemistry Interaction, High-Fidelity Modeling