Prof. Timothy Lieuwen Director of the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Lab

“Complete Determination of the Velocity Gradient Tensor Upstream of the Flame Front with High-Speed Tomo-PIV/Dual-Plane-PIV/OH-PLIF Measurements” a paper co-authored by researchers from AE's Ben T. Zinn Combustion lab, has been chosen to receive the 2018 Propellants and Combustion Best Paper Award by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The Tech-based research team will formally receive the award during the 2019 AIAA Propulsion and Energy Forum to be held in Indianapolis, this August.

Co-authors of the paper include AE doctoral students Jamie Lim, Travis Smith, and Matthew A. Sirignano; AE research engineer  Ben Emerson; and AE faculty member Timothy Lieuwen. The Georgia Tech team worked closely on the paper with Ohio-based researchers from both Spectral Energies, LLC, and the Air Force Research Lab.

The paper presents an experimental study that directly captures fluid-dynamic combustor details which had previously only been available from simulations. The data produced by their novel approach is similar to a weather map, researchers found, with three exceptions: it is three-dimensional, it is in a harsh reacting environment, and it is sampled 10,000 times per second.

“We are so proud to share this recognition with our colleagues at Spectral Energies, and the AFRL," said Lieuwen, who also heads up the Zinn Lab. "This is the sort of collaboration that will help the entire combustion community."