AFRL’s Combustion Branch plans, develops, and transitions basic research and applied technology development programs for military air-breathing engines. This involves executing in-house and contracted programs that enhance the capability of turbo-propulsion systems through design, analysis, development, and test of advanced combustion systems. We also explore novel propulsion concepts critical to meeting future Air Force requirements. Such concepts include pulsed-detonation engines, inter-turbine burners, and trapped vortex combustors. The branch has in-house activities associated with these concepts.

We evaluate and enhance component capabilities through the understanding and innovative use of aerodynamics, heat transfer, materials, diagnostics, computational fluid dynamics, and design tools. Fundamental research areas include fuel injection, fuel-air mixing, fuel atomization, flame stability, supercritical fuel injection, flame dynamics, and ignition phenomena. A growing focus area involves understanding the combustion characteristics of alternative fuels for new propulsion systems. Well-equipped laboratories and computational resources are available to conduct the research activities. The laboratories can operate at sub-atmospheric to 40 atmosphere conditions and include a host of intrusive and non-intrusive diagnostic capabilities.