Abstract
Continuing support for combustion research is threatened by those who argue that continued use of fossil fuels is not sustainable. Reserves of fossil fuels are in fact sufficient for several generations and their use can be continued if their greenhouse gas emissions can be captured and sequestered or otherwise offset. Forecasts for future energy technologies foresee considerable reductions in the role for combustion technologies. It is important that combustion researchers become involved in such forecasting so that viable combustion technologies such as carbon capture and sequestration do not become sidelined by over-optimistic projections for photo-voltaics and the hydrogen economy. It is evident that many energy technologies will undergo at least two stages in transition to achieving the goals that are needed by 2050. Furthermore, there will be many factors such as geography and economic and policy changes that will have drastic effects on the marketability of energy systems. Combustion systems will need to be able to respond quickly to these rapidly changing markets. There is a vitally important role for advanced computer modelling in meeting this challenge. Current combustor modelling capability is of only peripheral use in the development of new combustion systems. The main problem is in the modelling of turbulence chemistry interactions. Considerable investment is needed in the development of advanced modelling approaches and in high quality measurements of an hierarchy of experimental data bases that will provide physical insights and become a basis for model validation.
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Bilger, R.W. (2011). The Role of Combustion Technology in the 21st Century. In: Echekki, T., Mastorakos, E. (eds) Turbulent Combustion Modeling. Fluid Mechanics and Its Applications, vol 95. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-0412-1_1
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