Spearker: Dr. Wenkai Liang

Abstract:

This talk presents recent advances in supercritical combustion and catalytic combustion for advanced gas turbine applications. Combustion in supercritical fluids is important for gas turbines operating at elevated pressures. The propagation of hydrogen, methane and dimethyl ether flames in high-pressure, supercritical environments was computationally studied for both low- and high-temperature chemistries, incorporating descriptions of real-fluid thermodynamics and transport as well as chemical kinetics validated at high pressures. The important reaction rate coefficients such as those of CO + OH = CO₂ + H and H + O₂ (+M) = HO₂ (+M) were re-evaluated based on both theoretical calculations and shock tube experiments. For the catalytic combustion, it is an efficient way of mitigating flame flashback of highly hydrogen-containing fuels due to the inhibiting effect of catalytic reactions on flame propagation. The kinetic interactions between the H₂ and CO fuel components in syngas over PdO will be discussed. Comparisons of numerical simulations with different H₂/CO blends reveal the complex physicochemical coupling of the H₂ and CO catalytic oxidation.

Bio:

Dr. Wenkai Liang earned his BS degrees in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics and Computer Science from Peking University in 2012 and his PhD degree in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering from Princeton University in 2018. He then worked at Princeton University as a postdoctoral researcher (2018-2022) and a research scientist (2022-present). His research focuses on the modeling of reactive flow systems with various energy and propulsion applications including battery fire safety, low-temperature chemistry, supersonic propulsion, fuel reforming, low-carbon fuels, supercritical fluids and catalysis. He has won the Boeing Fellowship in 2011, Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Fellowship in 2013, Meader Fellowship by the Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment in 2015, George H. Markstein Best Paper Award in 2017, and Bernard Lewis Fellowship by the Combustion Institute in 2020. He is the author of more than 30 journal articles including two journal cover articles and three ESI highly cited papers.

Registration link to join the seminar:

https://kaust.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_mxGB1dg5QF6rOlreJF90aA