Plasma-Assisted Combustion

The general idea of plasma-assisted combustion is to enhance combustion by means of an electric field, with minimal energy and pollutant penalty. The electrical energy input should be negligible compared to the thermal energy released by combustion or, alternatively, the electrical energy input should be less than the thermal energy saved.

In this field, the PAF group is focusing on three aspects:

1. The control of thermo-acoustic instabilities by non-equilibrium plasma.
2. The understanding of plasma action of the combustion phenomenon.
3. The enhancement of detonations by electrical discharges.

In addition, the PAF group is collaborating with the groups of Prof. Oliver Paschereit (TU Berlin, Germany), Dr. Bénédicte Cuenot (CERFACS, France), and Prof. Thierry Schuller (IMFT, France), on a project of Green Electrical Control of Combustion (GECCO).