Combustion of fuels with oxygen is the most widely used means of converting chemically stored energy to useful work. A certain level of inefficiency is intrinsic to traditional combustion devices. In these devices, chemically stored energy is irreversibly converted to sensible energy before work extraction occurs.

While combustion science has increased our understanding of the chemical processes that occur in flames, improvements in combustion engine efficiency have all resulted from mechanical improvements in engine technology. Similarly, changes to combustion strategy have not necessarily improved engine efficiency, although they have significantly reduced toxic emissions.

New combustion technologies may reduce the irreversibility associated with combustion, thereby significantly improving efficiency of combustion engines. Other combustion technologies may be used to manage the reaction products in an environmentally compatible fashion.

• Combustion Testing and Analysis of an Extreme-States Approach to Low-Irreversibility Engines
• The Sootless Diesel: Use of In-Plume Fuel Transformation to Enable High-Load, High-Efficiency, Clean Combustion
  
• An Extreme Compression Approach to Low-Irreversibility Piston Engines
• Results and Publications
  

• Low Exergy Loss Chemical Engines
• Results and Publications
• Optimization of Synthetic Oxygenated Fuels
• Results and Publications
• Sensors for Advanced Combustion Systems
• Results and Publications
• Coal and Biomass Char Reactivity
• Results and Publications
• Development of Low-Irreversibility Engines
• Results and Publications
• Controlled Combustion
• Results and Publications
  
• Process Informatics
• Results and Publications