SBIR Phase I: Control and Optimization of Combustion Based on Multispectral Emission Tomography

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project investigates a novel approach for directly measuring critical combustion flow-field information required for active control to increase combustion efficiency and reduce harmful emissions. The critical innovation in this proposal is the experimental determination of this functional relationship using spectral sensor technology and tomographic reconstruction techniques. Flow field characterization is achieved using a large number of measurements over multiple lines of sight through the flow. Once the sensor-to-flow functional relationship is determined, the process engineer can implement an active control system using a small number of strategically-placed sensors. The proposed Phase I research lays the scientific ground work for active control systems for a range of multi-burner combustors, including turbine engines, boilers, and process burners. These applications represent more than 50% of the global fossil energy usage; thus improvements in efficiency can have a major economic and societal impact.