Burning coal, petroleum, and other fossil fuels at extremely high temperatures through the combustion process is the primary means by which electricity is generated.

However, this vital process also produces less desirable by products that lead to environmental issues, such as smog and acid rain. Georgia Tech scientists are exploring ways to improve the combustion process to balance large-scale power generation with sound environmental practices. At the forefront of this work is the investigation of the fundamental properties of alternative fuels, elimination of unwanted and devastating combustion dynamics, and the exploration next generation combustor concepts from inception to full-industrial scale. Grounded in years of experience in combustion testing for traditional fossil fuels and alternative fuels, researchers are overcoming the barriers to clean combustion and greener energy supplies. This ground-breaking work is helping to reduce air pollutant emissions and increase the reliability and utilization of cleaner fuels, such natural gas and syngas.