Producing flickerless flames usually requires artificially low pressure or gravity. Researchers have now come up with a method that works in standard conditions that could help make engines more efficient
Physics
25 January 2023
Flickering flames Shutterstock/banjongseal956
Flames that don’t flicker could make stoves and engines more efficient. Creating such flames has previously required using artificially low gravity or pressure. Now, researchers have manged to do it in real-world conditions by pairing flames together.
Devices ranging from stoves and furnaces to aircraft and spacecraft engines use flames arranged close to each other. Flames consist of warm particles of air that can influence each other when close together so putting one flame next to another can cause both to flicker. When flames flicker devices using …
Source link As energy efficiency becomes an increasingly pertinent discussion point, researchers from the University of Leeds have discovered a new way to potentially reduce emissions from internal combustion engines.
The remarkable innovation focuses on the combustion process itself. In traditional engines, burning fuel emits a wide range of polluting emissions that result from the engine’s exhaust.
In the new experiment, researchers have discovered a way to modify the combustion process so that fuel is burned in the absence of a flame. By using a novel form of combustion that relies on pressure waves instead of a flame-generated heat transfer, the engine can significantly reduce carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and other harmful pollutants while preserving its efficiency.
The research team commented that “this approach not only offers significant potential savings in terms of emissions, but could also improve the efficiency of engines by reducing the power required to drive them.”
The new technology could have substantial implications for a range of applications, from cars to jet engines. In addition to reduced emissions, engines powered by this approach could also offer improved fuel efficiency, operating at lower temperatures and consequently reducing wear and tear on components.
The research team is continuing to develop their technique towards potential commercial applications. As the technology advances, widespread adoption could have an important effect on global emissions and help the world to meet climate change goals.
