Introductory description

ES4E4-15 Fuels and Combustion

Module web page

Module aims

Outline syllabus

This is an indicative module outline only to give an indication of the sort of topics that may be covered. Actual sessions held may differ.

1. Conventional Fuels – physical properties of fuel oil, coal and gas, storage, handling and preparation of fuels, the case for the continued exploitation of fossil fuels and their long-term availability.
2. Novel / Emergent Fuels – the case for the development of alternative fuels, physical properties, storage, handling and preparation, availability and multi-fuel options.
3. Principle of Combustion – combustion modes and flame types, reactant and product mixtures, adiabatic flame temperatures, equilibrium products of combustion, some important chemical mechanisms, reacting systems and conservation equations.
4. Premixed and non-premixed laminar and turbulent flames.
5. Novel Combustion Technology – some applications, pollutant formation and reduction, low-temperature combustion.
6. Safety Issues and Accidental Combustion – accidental releases, fire and explosions in the production, storage and utilization of both conventional and alternative fuels.

Learning outcomes

By the end of the module, students should be able to:

• Evaluate novel combustion technologies and identify the benefits over conventional combustion techniques in: reduced pollutant formation; and lower-temperature combustion.
• Critically evaluate the properties of different conventional fuels, and describe, compare, and evaluate key fuel properties such as energy density, polluting effect, cost and availability. Analyse the various advantages and disadvantages of each, forming hypotheses on the likelihood of continued usage.
• Investigate novel and emergent alternatives to fossil fuels, interpreting current fuel trends and evaluating the likelihood of future usage.
• Appraise the principles of combustion, and critique the following: combustion modes; equilibrium products of combustion; economy-emissions compromises; pollutant compromises; important chemical mechanisms and conservation equations.
• Interpret the effects of accidental release, fire and explosion in the production, storage and utilization of fuels, being able to cite significant incidents; evaluate the practical implications associated with fuel handling of conventional and novel fuels; evaluate relevant codes and legislation such as DSEAR / ATEX and consider implications on fuel use in industry.

Indicative reading list

1. An Introduction to Combustion: Concepts and Applications (Int'l Ed) Paperback – 1 May 2011 , Stephen R. Turns, McGraw-Hill Higher Education; 3rd edition (1 May 2011), ISBN-10: 0071086870, ISBN-13: 978-0071086875.
2. Fundamentals of Combustion Processes, Chen, Jyh-Yuan, Fernandez-Pello, A. Carlos, 2011, XXIV, 304 p.
3. Combustion: Physical and Chemical Fundamentals, Modeling and Simulation, Experiments, Pollutant Formation by Warnatz, J., Maas, Ulrich, Dibble, Robert W., 2006. ISBN-13: 978-3540259923 ISBN-10: 3540259929.
4. Novel Combustion Concepts for Sustainable Energy Development, Agarwal, A.K., Pandey, A., Gupta, A.K., Aggarwal, S.K., Kushari, A. (Eds.), 2014, XIII, 562 p. ISBN: 978-81-322-2210-1.

Subject specific skills

Fuel and combustion

Transferable skills

TBC