Skip to main content

Controlled Combustion System

Jay Cheng stands in front of controlled combustion system.
controlled combustion system

Atmospheric aerosols are microscopic particles in the form of dust, smoke, smog, mist, etc. Combustion­ aerosols from fossil fuel, oil, waste, and biomass burning represent a major source of atmospheric aerosols.

An emerging capability developed at the Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL) allows scientists to generate combustion aerosols to better characterize their properties. The controlled combustion system (CCS) mimics real-life combustion conditions around the aerosols produced, improving understanding of aerosol formation, properties, and the effects on ecosystems.

EMSL recently built a biomass feed system that continuously and constantly feeds biomass powder into the CCS. This is critical to understanding biomass combustion emission at specific combustion conditions (air-to-fuel ratio and/or combustion temperature) and biomass types. The feed system addresses knowledge gaps in properties of biomass emissions (particles and gas) and their evolution in the atmosphere. EMSL users can request to use the feed system to study biomass-burning aerosols.

EMSL’s CCS can be customized based on the user’s project needs and is shepherded by EMSL staff scientists in the Terrestrial-Atmospheric Processes Integrated Research Platform. After the combustion conditions are created in CCS, aerosols can be analyzed using EMSL’s analytical platforms, including mass spectrometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), ice nucleation environmental SEM, computer-controlled SEM, and transmission electron microscopy. These analytical platforms will provide a comprehensive picture of combustion aerosols.

Research application

Supporting the Terrestrial-Atmospheric Processes Integrated Research Platform and Biogeochemical Transformations Integrated Platform, CCS provides opportunities in combustion aerosols research such as:

  • Chemical, physical, and optical properties of combustion aerosols
  • Combustion aerosol and cloud interaction
  • Atmospheric aging of combustion emission
  • Health effects of combustion aerosols
  • Combustion emission impacts on the ecosystem
  • Biomass-burning aerosols

Contributing teams and resources

EMSL develops and deploys capabilities for the user program by conducting original research independently or in partnership with others and by adapting/advancing science and technologies developed outside of EMSL. In some instances, EMSL directly deploys mature capabilities developed by others where there is value for the EMSL user community. The following grants/activities, PI’s and teams contributed to the development of this capability: 

Manishkumar B. Shrivastava, Proposal ID 60995, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory

Marwa El-Sayed, Proposal ID 60984, Proposal ID 60984, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

 

Contacts