THE ACERC MISSION

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.
      

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