This course aims to teach the basic principles of combustion highlighting the
role of chemical kinetics, fluid mechanics, and molecular transport in
determining the structure of flames. Students will become familiar with
laminar and turbulent combustion of gaseous and liquid fuels including the
formation of pollutants. They will also be briefly introduced to various
applications such as internal combustion engines, gas turbines, furnaces and
fires. This course will cover equilibrium compositions, flammability limits,
simple chemically reacting systems, detailed chemical kinetics, and the basic
theory underlying laminar and turbulent combustion for both premixed and
non-premixed cases. An introduction to droplet combustion, the concept of
mixture fraction for non-premixed flames, combustion in engines and gas
turbines as well as the formation of pollutants. Fire ignition, growth and
spread will also be covered with respect to safety in buildings including the
hazards related to the formation of smoke and toxic products.