RESEARCH AREAS

Combustion Chemistry
Investigation of the fundamental chemical reactions involved in the combustion of solids, liquids, and/or gases.

NOx/Pollutants
Investigation of formation and means of reducing emissions of nitrogen oxides, hydrocarbons, and other pollutants from combustion systems.

Fine Particles
Investigation of formation, agglomeration, composition, and destruction of fine particles from combustion processes. Areas of interest include carbon burnout, fly ash formation, heavy metals emissions, soot, and combustion-generated particulate products.

Simulation/Validation
Simulation of combustion and related processes using computational fluid dynamics, including research to improve gridding, numerical solution, visualization, and interpretation. Also included are experiments on laboratory- and industrial-scale combustion systems to help evaluate performance of comprehensive combustion models.

Fires & Explosions
Investigation of combustion aspects of fires and explosions, including laboratory experiments and fundamental chemistry modeling.

THE ACERC MISSION
The mission of ACERC is to develop, apply, and transfer advanced combustion technology to industry through fundamental engineering research and educational programs aimed at the solution of critical combustion problems.

ACERC (advanced combustion engineering research center) enjoys an international reputation as an applied-energy, academically based research institution. ACERC research improves energy technologies through application of fundamental experimental and theoretical engineering to operational, environmental, and systems issues. Most of the work is done in close collaboration with industry. Historically, ACERC operated with substantial central funding from the National Science Foundation and primarily focused on coal combustion and comprehensive modeling. More recently, ACERC added a strong focus on sustainable and renewable energy issues with substantial activities in biomass and black liquor processing.

1) Current center research projects (organized by fuel type) include:
         a) Coal:
                i) Effects of pressure on coal reaction rates
                ii) SCR deactivation by low-rank coal and biomass
                iii) Popcorn ash formation and SCR impact
                iv) Deposition 
                v) Corrosion
                vi) Experiments and modeling of near-burner flows
                vii) Biomass-coal cofiring
         b) Biomass
                i) Biomass reactivity, including effects of particle size and shape
                ii) Biomass-coal cofiring
                iii) Corrosion
                iv) Deposition
                v) Chemical characterization of biomass
                vi) SCR deactivation by biomass cofiring
                vii) Impacts of biomass on fly ash utilization with concrete
                viii) CFD modeling of biomass bed combustion
                ix) Transportation fuel production from biomass gasification
                x) Nitrogen chemistry during biomass combustion
                xi) Near-burner characteristics of biomass-coal blends
         c) Black Liquor
                i) Black liquor reactivity, including effects of particle size and shape
                ii) Corrosion
                iii) Deposition
                iv) Black liquor gasification
                v) Transportation fuel production from black liqor gasification
                vi) Sulfur chemistry in kraft recovery boilers
                vii) Aerosol formation in recovery boilers
                viii) Non-ideal thermochemical equilibrium of alkali salts
                ix) Development of a single particle model for black liquor droplets
         d) Other
                i) Forest fire spread rates
                ii) Laser levitation of particles
                iii) Hydrogen production
                iv) Foam pyrolysis and decomposition
                v) Deposit formation on gas turbine blades
                vi) Soot formation from aromatic species.
         
ACERC students are our primary product. Many are now successful employees in a variety of industries, 
including those producing coal-fired boilers for electric power, gas turbines, chemical processes, nuclear 
power, and paper. ACERC industrial members are critical to the program providing direction to center 
research, participating as partners in collaborative research efforts, and sponsoring internship opportunities.        

350 Clyde Building Provo, Utah 84602 801.422.5162 801.422.0151 fax acerc@byu.edu