Overcoming Carbon-Free Fuel Challenges: Laser-Induced Ammonia Combustion
Assistant Professor Dimitris Assanis and Co-PI, Associate Professor David Hwang were awarded an OVPR seed grant for their project "Overcoming Carbon-Fuel Challenges: Laser-Induced Ammonia Combustion." Ammonia is carbon-free fuel with great long duration storage capabilities that can
be made from renewable energy and can help decarbonize the ~2B internal combustion
piston engines in the world so we can meet our ambitious net-zero carbon goals.
The problem is that Ammonia combustion is challenged by high ignition temperature requirements and slow flame speeds thus requires hydrogen addition or a new, innovative approach. Laser-induced decomposition and ignition can break the parent fuel, Ammonia, into more reactive intermediate kinetic species of NH2, NH and other radical species that are more readily ignitable and can achieve faster combustion propagation rates.