Department of Mechanical Engineering

ME Seminar Series: Energy Efficiency and Formation of Pollutants in Combustion Engines

 

Department of Mechanical Engineering Seminar Series
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
October 19, 2007
1312 Hoover Hall

Energy Efficiency and Formation of Pollutants in Combustion Engines

Norman Chigier
Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University
Editor-in-chief: Progress in Energy and Combustion Science
President, International Institute of Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems

Abstract

The primary source of CO₂ causing global warming is combustion in automobile, diesel and gas turbine engines.  The design of fuel injection systems for control of atomization and spray characteristics and subsequent evaporation is required to establish fuel/air mixture ratios and temperature distributions for chemical reaction.  Coupling the maximization of energy and fuel efficiency with minimizing formation and emission of No_x, So_x, HC and solid particulates is a major challenge.  Fluid dynamic and chemical kinetic computational numerical codes require validation by laser diagnostic size, velocity, temperature and species concentration measurements in high pressure and high temperature combustion environments.  Biomass and liquid fuels derived from coal are challenges for atomization and combustion.

 

Biography

       Dr. Norman Chigier is the William J. Brown Chaired Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University.  At the University of Cambridge, England, he was awarded the M.A. degree in 1960 and the Ph.D. degree in 1961.  In 1977, Cambridge University awarded him the special distinguished degree of Doctor of Science, based upon international recognition and publication of books and papers in scientific journals.  He is author of three books: Combustion Aerodynamics (1972) (translated into Japanese and Chinese); Energy, Combustion and Environment (1981) (translated into Chinese); and Combustion Measurements (1991).  He has published 300 papers in scientific journals and conference proceedings, including an article in Scientific American (1974).  He has received distinguished awards for papers of excellence from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (1965); Institute of Fuel, (1968) and (1975); and the International Conference on Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems (1988). 

       In 1974, Dr. Chigier founded the international review journal, Progress in Energy and Combustion Science.  He has been the sole editor for 32 years.  He is editor of the Hemisphere International Book Series on Combustion. Dr. Chigier was also one of the founding members of the International Institute of Liquid Atomization and Spray Systems (ILASS), and founding editor of the archival research journal, Atomization and Sprays.  He has presented Plenary and Keynote Lectures at many international conferences.

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