Energy, Combustion, and Air Pollution

About the Presentation

Combustion of fuels—including coal, natural gas, petroleum, and biomass—enables electricity generation, home heating, cooking, rapid transport of people and goods, as well as a multitude of commercial and industrial activities. Unfortunately, combustion processes also emit pollutants—such as fine particulate matter—that pose serious risks to human health. Globally, ambient particulate matter pollution and household air pollution are leading risk factors for premature death. Engineers can help mitigate health risks stemming from air pollution by: (1) reducing emissions from combustion sources and (2) improving our ability to quantify air pollution levels. Several projects motivated by these two goals will be presented. Emphasis will be placed on experimental studies that examined how stove design, fuel type, and other operational parameters affect emissions from household biomass gasifier cookstoves. Additional topics will include: how blends of renewable diesel with petroleum diesel affect emissions from compression-ignition engines, design of portable and affordable particulate matter air pollution monitors, and evaluating the accuracy of personal particulate matter concentrations measured using wearable nephelometers.