The Challenge of Transferring Fundamental Combustion Research Results Into Industrial Combustion Equipment

The U.S. Department of Energy conducts two industrial combustion Programs which are now under coordinated management within DOE's Office of Industrial Technologies. These Programs are the Industrial Combustion Technology Program and the Industrial Combustion Equipment Program. The former focuses on the fundamentals of combustion, and investigates new ideas and concepts to improve combustion efficiency and reduce emissions. The latter Program develops and demonstrates combustion equipment for use by industry. The equipment developed is both high in efficiency and low in emissions. Ideally, the ideas and concepts identified and researched in the Combustion Technology Program can be transferred to the Equipment Program for development into equipment for use by U.S. industry. Since their inception, both Programs have concentrated on the research and development of energy efficient, fuel conserving and fuel flexible combustion technology and equipment. Recently, however, environmental regulations such as the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments (CAAA) have had a major impact in changing the combustion needs of U.S. industry. Responding to this important stimulus, both DOE Industrial Combustion Programs are emphazing the cost-effective attainment of environmental goals while maintaining traditional efficiency goals. The Combustion Technology Program is addreSsing needs in burner development, and in the petroleum refining and pulp/paper industries, areas in which DOE has major development thrusts. A new generation research agenda is being formulated. The Combustion Equipment Program will develop advanced combustion systems to enable industry to meet the CAAA at the lowest practical cost.