This book is about combustion science and technology and, as such, covers not only the basic laws and phenomena related to the physics and chemistry of combustion, but also the implications of the fundamental understanding gained therein to the principles behind the practical combustion phenomena affecting our daily lives. It presents the diverse knowledge required of combustion scientists and engineers, the challenges they face, and the satisfaction they derive in providing the proper linkage between the fundamental and the practical.

In Section 0.1 we identify the major areas of practical combustion phenomena, illustrated by some specific problems of interest. In Section 0.2 we discuss the scientific disciplines comprising the study of combustion, and in Section 0.3 we present the classifications of fundamental combustion phenomena. An overview of the text is given in Section 0.4.

MAJOR AREAS OF COMBUSTION APPLICATION

It is fair to say that the ability to use fire is an important factor in ushering the dawn of civilization. Today our dependence on the service of fire is almost total, from heating and lighting our homes to powering the various modes of transportation vehicles. Useful as it is, fire can also be menacing and sometimes deadly. Wildland and urban fires cause tremendous loss of property and lives every year; the noxious pollutants from automotive and industrial power plants poison the very environment in which we live; and the use of chemical weapons continues to be an agent of destruction with ever greater efficiency.