MAE 504 Fluid Dynamics of Combustion I

3 Credit Hours

Gas-phase thermochemistry including chemical equilibrium and introductory chemical kinetics. Homogeneous reaction phenomena. Subsonic and supersonic combustion waves in premixed reactants (deflagration and detonation). Effects of turbulence. Introduction to diffusion flame theory.

Prerequisite

Undergraduate Engineering thermodynamics (MAE 301), Fluid Mechanics (MAE 308) or Compressible Flow (MAE 355)

Course Objectives

This is an introductory course and a first in a two-course series in Combustion. The objectives of the course are the following:

• Introduce the foundations of combustion through its various disciplines – Thermodynamics, chemical kinetics, oxidation and explosive behavior of fuels, transport processes, and a number of applications of combustion including laminar premixed and diffusion flame theories.
• Introduce the basic design and analysis tools that may be used to solve complex combustion problems through an individual project in a manner that synthesizes the various disciplines of combustion.

Course Requirements

HOMEWORK: Approximately one homework assignment per week

EXAMINATIONS: Two mid-term exams and a final.

PROJECTS: None

Textbook

Combustion Physics, by Chung K. Law, First Ed., Cambridge University Press, 2006.