Thermodynamics of combustion

Title: Assistant Professor

Degree(s):

Lab/Center Affiliation(s) (i.e. CoE or SBI):

Research interests:

• Combustion physics and chemistry (chemical kinetics, ignition, flame propagation, extinction, and pollutant formation, turbulent combustion)
• Applied combustion in gas turbines, internal combustion engines and process burners
• Fuel technology (formulation, additives and characterization)
• Thermodynamic analysis of energy systems

Current Research:

Our research interests are in the area of energy conversion, with a special focus on Combustion Physics and Chemistry. Our work is a combination of experiments, combustion theory, and simulations. We determine combustion properties and pollutant formation trends, contribute to detailed and reduced chemical kinetic model development, and use computational fluid dynamics to study turbulence-chemistry interactions in combustion processes.

The ultimate goal is to develop tools for the analysis and design of advanced combustion devices such as gas turbines, internal combustion engines and industrial furnaces. We are also actively involved unravelling the physics of laser-induced initiation of burning processes; an approach that is promising as an alternative reliable ignition source for fuel-flexible engines. Other areas of research include thermodynamic analysis of energy systems and characterization of fuel blends.

Courses Taught

• Thermodynamics
• Advanced thermodynamics
• Propulsion
• Combustion phenomena in engineering
• Selected topics in combustion turbines and internal combustion engines

Honors/Awards:

• 2014 FilterTech, Pi Tau Sigma, and Sigma Gamma Tau faculty award for Excellence in Engineering Education
• NSERC Postdoctoral Fellowship, Canada, 2012-2014, declined in favor of faculty position at Syracuse University
• MITACS/CRIAQ/NSERC internships for doctoral & postdoctoral scholars, held at Rolls-Royce Canada, 2010-2011
• FQRNT doctoral fellowship in energy research (Provincial fellowship, Quebec, Canada), 2009-2010
• Sigma Xi Grant-in-Aid-of research, 2010

Selected Publications:

M.A. Eldeeb, B. Akih-Kumgeh, Investigation of 2, 5-dimethyl furan and iso-octane ignition. Combustion & Flame, 162:2454-2465, 2015.

Fossi, A. deChamplain, and B. Akih-Kumgeh, Unsteady RANS and Scale Adaptive Simulations of Turbulent Spray Flames in a Swirled-Stabilized Gas Turbine Model Combustor using Tabulated Chemistry, Int. J. Numerical Methods for Heat and Fluid Flow, 25:1064–1088, 2015.

M.A. Eldeeb, B. Akih-Kumgeh, Reactivity trends in furan and alkyl furan combustion. Energy & Fuels, 28:6618-6626, 2014

N.D. Peters, B. Akih-Kumgeh, J.M. Bergthorson, Comparative Analysis of Chemical Kinetic Models Using the Alternate Species Elimination Approach. J. Eng. Gas Turbines & Power, 137:021505-1–021505-9, 2014.

J.D. Munzar, B. Akih-Kumgeh, B.M. Denman, A. Zia, J.M. Bergthorson, An experimental and reduced modeling study of the laminar flame speed of jet fuel surrogate components, Fuels, 113:583–597, 2013.

Akih-Kumgeh, J.M. Bergthorson. Skeletal chemical kinetic mechanisms for syngas, methylbutanoate, n-heptane, and n-decane, Energy & Fuels, 27:2316-2326, 2013.

A. Chung, B. Akih-Kumgeh, G.M.G. Watson, J.M. Bergthorson, NOx formation and flame velocity profiles of iso- and n-isomers of butane and butanol, Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 34: 831–838, 2013.

Akih-Kumgeh, J.M. Bergthorson. Experimental and modeling study of trends in the high-temperature ignition of methyl and ethyl esters, Energy & Fuels, 25:4345-4356, 2011.