Fuel for thought: Improving combustion for a cleaner future
Dec 23, 2014
KAUST’s Clean Combustion Research Center aims to develop technologies for future fuel formulations, more efficient engines, and new methods for power generation.
Results for mechanical engineering
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Spreading the flame
Aug 15, 2015
Simulations reveal the final moments of a fuel droplet as it combusts in a spray injection engine.
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Giving drones a lift
Sep 5, 2015
Simulations show that an actuated jet of air from the wing can dramatically improve the aerodynamic performance of micro-aircraft such as drones.
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Antibubbles make a splash
Sep 19, 2015
Stable air layers that wrap around liquid drops can retain their remarkable geometries a thousand times longer than theory predicts.
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When icy surfaces aren't a drag
Oct 10, 2015
High-speed imaging of perfect ice spheres free-falling in water reveals surprising insights into drag reduction.
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Tiny drops pack an unexpected punch
Oct 17, 2015
Ultrafast cameras spy surprising air-trapping effects intrinsic to droplet-based technologies such as inkjet printing.
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A knock-out engine performance
Oct 31, 2015
Environmentally friendly butanol additives improve gasoline performance in spark ignition engines.
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The darkest black
Oct 31, 2015
Metallic nanostructures absorb light better than any other known structures.
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Emulsions reveal their family secrets
Nov 14, 2015
Capturing the hidden details of coalescence cascades that connect bubbles and droplets may improve oil extraction practices.
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Know your blends
Dec 5, 2015
Experimental and numerical studies reveal the combustion properties of blended fuels at elevated pressures.
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Shaping rate rules to fuel the future
Feb 27, 2016
Precise rate constants could provide high-fidelity combustion models for cleaner and more efficient fuels.
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Making a splash
Mar 12, 2016
Ultrafast imaging reveals the influence of even ultrasmall surface roughness on inkjet printing.
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Less is more when it comes to soot
Mar 26, 2016
A complex computational model provides a more accurate description of soot formation.
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Simulations blow wind tunnel tests away
Mar 26, 2016
A simulation scheme for aerodynamic turbulence could replace expensive wind tunnel tests.
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The switchable switch
May 7, 2016
A novel logic gate allows for added electronic functionality.
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Threading the way to touch-sensitive robots
May 21, 2016
Smart threads can be woven into pressure-sensitive electronic skin for robots or medical prosthetics.
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Electric fields tame the flame
Jul 9, 2016
A clearer understanding of how flame is affected by electric fields paves the way for advanced electrically assisted combustion technology.
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Fiery explosions of hot metal on water
Oct 1, 2016
Images of from a high-speed camera reveal a microbead formation process during the vapor explosion of liquid metal dropping into a pool of water.
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The race for more efficient engines
Nov 26, 2016
New technique lays the foundation for greener transport fuels and next-generation engines.
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The promise of greener power generation
Dec 3, 2016
The characterization of compounds produced in combustion could lead to cleaner, more efficient power stations.
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Levitation trick gives drag the slip
Mar 11, 2017
Plunging hot spheres into viscous liquids reveals a way to reduce fluid resistance without complex engineering procedures.
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Augmented reality at your fingertips
Apr 24, 2017
A flexible, carbon-based device that responds to humidity in two ways can sense 3D objects without touching them.
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A changing climate affects plankton populations
Jun 10, 2017
Data from a global oceanographic expedition predict how rising temperatures influence increase in plankton populations.
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3D particle tracking? There's an app for that
Aug 20, 2017
Smartphones put state-of-the-art 3D particle tracking in the hands of the masses.
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Gazing into the flames of ionic winds
Sep 10, 2017
New 3D visualizations that reveal how flames respond to electric fields could help improve combustion efficiency and reduce pollution.
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Fueling a cleaner combustion
Sep 17, 2017
Insight into the thermal decomposition of a potential fuel additive shows it could promote cleaner and more efficient combustion.
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Good vibrations for the future of computing
Oct 1, 2017
A vibration-driven logic gate could form the basis for the next generation of efficient, low-power computers.
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Igniting future fuel research
Nov 26, 2017
Simple two-component mixtures are good surrogates for studying the ignition properties of next-generation gasolines.
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Wet plasma makes a nano-sized splash
Dec 10, 2017
Silicon microelectronics and biomedical fields could benefit from a safe and cost-effective way to synthesize nanoparticles.
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Giant air pockets win the drag race
Dec 17, 2017
Creating teardrop-like gas cavities around metal spheres enables practically friction-free travel through liquids.
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Putting some skin in the turbulence game
Jan 7, 2018
Theoretical simulations reveal how subtle changes in friction on an object’s surface can have a large effect on drag.
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Potential for a cleaner blend of fuel
Mar 18, 2018
A technique modeling the combustion characteristics of gasoline blended with biofuels for cleaner and more efficient fuels.
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Combing light for tell-tale chemical fingerprints
May 20, 2018
Spotting signatures of potential pollutants made easier with quantum lasers that emit tunable infrared light.
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Putting gas under pressure
Jul 8, 2018
Understanding the response of gas flames to acoustic perturbations at high pressure should make next-generation turbines safer and more efficient.
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Renewables could drastically cut tailpipe emissions
Aug 5, 2018
Ethanol and related gasoline replacement fuels produce fewer smog-causing chemicals.
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Solar fuels working well under pressure
Aug 12, 2018
Computer analysis aids the formulation of methanol-based renewable fuels that can operate under compression ignition conditions.
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Attempting to tame plasmas in fusion
Sep 24, 2018
A numerical study reveals how to reduce instabilities in the complex flow of plasma in converging geometry of particles in fusion reactions.
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Putting the squeeze on soot
Nov 11, 2018
Understanding the effect pressure has on soot production during fuel combustion could help reduce polluting emissions.
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Biodiesel by-product helps fuel come clean
Nov 22, 2018
A compound made from the glycerol by-product of biodiesel production could promote cleaner burning in vehicle engines.
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Capturing spray from flash-boiling liquid jets
Dec 4, 2018
Ultrafast video capture of droplet cloud formation should help minimize the risk of gas-leak explosions.
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Sensitive robots feel the strain
Dec 10, 2018
Flexible skin for soft robots, embedded with electrical nanowires, combines conductivity with sensitivity within the same material.
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Trouble on the surface begins with a wave of tiny bubbles
Feb 12, 2019
Rapid-fire photography reveals how even a nanoscale amount of surface roughness can unleash microbubbles that may interfere with coating technology.
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Turbocharging the switch to efficient engines
Mar 27, 2019
Predicting capricious pre-ignition combustion events could enable automakers to build powerful yet more efficient engines.
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When bubbles bounce back
Nov 13, 2019
Ultrapure solvents prove there is more than meets the eye when oil and water mix.
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Chemical enlightenment behind reflected shockwaves
Dec 9, 2019
Studying the wake of reflected shockwaves reveals the cascade of chemical reactions involved in combustion processes.
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Vibrating beams feel the pressure
Mar 3, 2020
Variations in the vibrations of beams of silicon create a sensitive way of measuring pressure changes.
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Fueling a cleaner future for transport
Mar 9, 2020
Modeling the combustion properties of gasoline is driving the search for cleaner fuels.
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Clever with combustion
Mar 31, 2020
Advanced modes of combustion that are controlled by plasma discharges could become key components of the circular carbon economy.
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Mixing up helps stop engine super-knock
May 20, 2020
Predictions reveal how pressure and temperature fluctuations in engine cylinders can suppress damaging fuel combustion events.
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Firing up a clean chemistry revolution
Jul 28, 2020
Plasma technology could help the petrochemical industry transition to an electrified, decarbonized future.
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Slippery superfluids push jets to breaking point
Aug 30, 2020
Improved imaging of liquid jet sprays can impact fields ranging from inkjet printing to oil and gas processing.
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Better benzene sensing at laser point
Dec 8, 2020
A highly selective and sensitive laser sensor can pick up low-level benzene emissions in ambient air.
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How drain flies dodge a washout
Jan 18, 2021
Shower spray is like water off a duck’s back to bathroom flies.
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Explaining electric fields in sandstorms
Apr 27, 2021
The intense sparks that occasionally accompany charged sandstorms can arise from turbulent movements of airborne dust.
