ICES Experimental Capabilities - Institute for Combustion and Energy Studies

ICES Experimental Capabilities

ICES experimental facilities provide a complete suite of tools for studying combustion processes, aerosol formation, and fires/explosions. A major focus is the coupling of large-scale simulations and experimental work in our industrial-style facilities for both commercial and research purposes. Our facilities include two laboratories, facilities for fuel characterization and by-product formation, and a variety of pilot-scale reactors.

Laboratories

The combustion laboratories at the University of Utah house a number of laboratory-scale reactors and complementary analytical capabilities.
The Industrial Combustion and Gasification Research Facility houses our pilot-scale reactors, control systems, and gas and aerosol analyzers.

Fuel Characterization and By-Product Formation

Liquid- and solid-fuel laminar-flow drop tubes
Fluidized bed
100,000 BTU/hr multi-fuel furnace
Gas turbine engine
Inverse diffusion flame
Two-stage premixed burner
Single-stage premixed burner
Wolfhard-Packard style slot burner

Pilot-Scale Reactors

Field Testing

ICES has the ability to measure gas- and particle-phase emissions with our mobile laboratory, and we have a history of collecting field data under challenging conditions including the exhaust plumes of rocket motors, F-18 aircraft, and agricultural burns. The mobile laboratory has air conditioning, ample electrical outlets, and a flexible configuration, so that the researchers can collect measurements from a variety of sources and ambient samples. Its current capabilities include:

The mobile lab also has several real-time or near real-time instruments for characterizing particulate matter (PM). We can measure particle size distribution for particles ranging from 7 nm to 10 nm; particle mass of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1; black-carbon content, and particle-bound PAH content. In addition, we can collect a variety of filter and impactor samples for off-line characterization of PM composition. For more complete details on our aerosol characterization capabilities, see our aerosol page.

The mobile lab has several gas-phase analyzers and a Tedlar-bag sampler for collecting gas-phase samples for off-line analysis. The gas-phase analyzers include:

Total hydrocarbons - VIG Industries FID Model 20
CO/ CO2 - a California Analytical Nondispersive Infrared (NDIR) analyzer.
NOX species, specifically NO, NO2 and overall NOX, with a Thermoelectron chemiluminescent analyzer.
Utah Test and Training Center, UT measured particulate emissions from a Minuteman rocket motor.
North Island Naval Station, Coronado, CA evaluated the effectiveness of real-time particle characterization instruments for measuring emissions from aircraft engines (S-3 Viking and the F/A-18 Hornet).
Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, California Air Resources Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Test Laboratory, and Edwards Air Force Base evaluated the effectiveness of diesel filters for removing particulate emissions from diesel exhaust.
U.S.-Mexico Border (Calexico/Mexicali and C. Juarez/El Paso) looking for high emitters of PM.
Imperial Valley, CA: Characterized PM emissions from agricultural burns.




Capabilities Experimental Simulation Analytical	ICES Experimental Capabilities ICES experimental facilities provide a complete suite of tools for studying combustion processes, aerosol formation, and fires/explosions. A major focus is the coupling of large-scale simulations and experimental work in our industrial-style facilities for both commercial and research purposes. Our facilities include two laboratories, facilities for fuel characterization and by-product formation, and a variety of pilot-scale reactors. Laboratories The combustion laboratories at the University of Utah house a number of laboratory-scale reactors and complementary analytical capabilities. The Industrial Combustion and Gasification Research Facility houses our pilot-scale reactors, control systems, and gas and aerosol analyzers. Fuel Characterization and By-Product Formation Liquid- and solid-fuel laminar-flow drop tubes Fluidized bed 100,000 BTU/hr multi-fuel furnace Gas turbine engine Inverse diffusion flame Two-stage premixed burner Single-stage premixed burner Wolfhard-Packard style slot burner Pilot-Scale Reactors 5 million BTU/hr pulverized coal/multi-fuel furnace Black liquor gasifier (University of Utah Black Liquor Gasification) Entrained-flow gasifier 1 million BTU/hr circulating fluidized bed 1 million BTU/hr grate-fired combustor (stoker) 250 BTU/hr oxyfuel combustor 3 million BTU/hr process heater Large-scale fire facility Diesel engine test facility 500,000 rotary kiln simulator Field Testing ICES has the ability to measure gas- and particle-phase emissions with our mobile laboratory, and we have a history of collecting field data under challenging conditions including the exhaust plumes of rocket motors, F-18 aircraft, and agricultural burns. The mobile laboratory has air conditioning, ample electrical outlets, and a flexible configuration, so that the researchers can collect measurements from a variety of sources and ambient samples. Its current capabilities include: The mobile lab also has several real-time or near real-time instruments for characterizing particulate matter (PM). We can measure particle size distribution for particles ranging from 7 nm to 10 nm; particle mass of PM10, PM2.5, and PM1; black-carbon content, and particle-bound PAH content. In addition, we can collect a variety of filter and impactor samples for off-line characterization of PM composition. For more complete details on our aerosol characterization capabilities, see our aerosol page. The mobile lab has several gas-phase analyzers and a Tedlar-bag sampler for collecting gas-phase samples for off-line analysis. The gas-phase analyzers include: Total hydrocarbons - VIG Industries FID Model 20 CO/ CO2 - a California Analytical Nondispersive Infrared (NDIR) analyzer. NOX species, specifically NO, NO2 and overall NOX, with a Thermoelectron chemiluminescent analyzer. Utah Test and Training Center, UT measured particulate emissions from a Minuteman rocket motor. North Island Naval Station, Coronado, CA evaluated the effectiveness of real-time particle characterization instruments for measuring emissions from aircraft engines (S-3 Viking and the F/A-18 Hornet). Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base, California Air Resources Heavy-Duty Diesel Engine Test Laboratory, and Edwards Air Force Base evaluated the effectiveness of diesel filters for removing particulate emissions from diesel exhaust. U.S.-Mexico Border (Calexico/Mexicali and C. Juarez/El Paso) looking for high emitters of PM. Imperial Valley, CA: Characterized PM emissions from agricultural burns.