Engines, Fuels, and Thermodynamics of Combustion

In the preceding chapters of this book, trending combustion techniques and burner designs for clean power production applications were discussed in detail. However, the basic engine types, fuel types, and the fundamentals of combustion have not been discussed, which are prerequisites to understanding those trending combustion techniques and burner designs. The knowledge of such basics and fundamentals is highly important, especially for beginners and undergraduate students in the field of combustion. Section 2.1 of this chapter introduces basic engines, with a focus on internal combustion engines, their anatomy, and classifications. Section 2.2 discusses the parameters used to analyze and compare engine performance. Fuel types and properties are presented in Sect. 2.3 to help understand the concept of fuel-flexible combustion, which was discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. Section 2.4 discusses simplified chemistry and thermodynamic analysis of the combustion process. Finally, Sect. 2.5 discusses the conservation of energy in the combustion process.