Other tech: Almost zero emission combustor

Georgia Tech researchers have created a new combustor (combustion chamber where fuel is burned to power an engine or gas turbine) designed to burn fuel in a wide range of devices with next to no emission of nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon monoxide (CO), two of the primary causes of air pollution. The device has a simpler design than existing state-of-the-art combustors and could be manufactured and maintained at a much lower cost, making it more affordable in everything from jet engines and power plants to home water heaters. It is called a Stagnation Point Reverse Flow Combustor.


(Left) A traditional combustor mixes fuel and air before they are injected into the combustion chamber. (Right) Tech’s combustor injects the fuel and air separately into the combustor.