Thermal Energy and Combustion Engineering Department

Eighty percent of Japan's energy is supplied by the combustion of fossil fuels such as petroleum, coal, and natural gas. High efficient combustion of such fuels and the minimization of pollutants caused by combustion are very important research areas.

About 65% of total primary energy is not practically used for actual purposes and exhausted as the waste heat. Most of the waste heat has not been utilized because of its low economical availability. From the viewpoint of the conservation of global environment and energy resources, enhancing the utilization of waste heat and natural energy is one of the most important subjects and the technology development relating to advanced heat recovery, transfer and accumulation is intensively required.

This department has a broad academic perspective in the pursuit of its research on fossil fuels energy utilization and combustion. Expertise is distributed among three divisions, and includes the academic disciplines of combustion engineering, chemical engineering and measuring technology. A summary of the work of each of the three divisions is outlined below.

Combustion Engineering Division

Several analytical methods such as computer simulation, shock tube experiments, and laser techniques for determining gas velocity, concentration, and temperature are used in investigating combustion. Gas phase and catalytic reactions are also investigated for pollution abatement.

Current projects include:

• Combustion chemistry
• Application of laser spectroscopy for combustion
• Studies on pollutant formation and decomposition
• Catalytic treatment of flue gas and hazardous waste

Advanced Combustion Systems Division

In this division, chemical and mechanical engineering principles area pplied to the research and development of combustion systems.

Current projects include:

• Innovative Hydrogen Production Process (HyPr-RING)
• Mediator recycling combustion System (MERIT).
• Atmospheric and pressurized fluidized bed combustion of coal.
• Catalytic combustion.
• NOx removal system by photocatalyst.
• Control techniques of acid rain

Thermal Energy Application Division

For the purpose of efficient use of thermal energy, this division covers the research field of heat transfer and fluid flow, aiming at the technology development relating to advanced heat recovery, transfer and accumulation.

Current research projects include :

• Sodium heat pipe technology for high temperature heat transfer
• Numerical simulation of radiative heat transfer from high temperature flame
• Natural energy utilization system with heat accumulation technology
• Waste heat recovery with heat driven pump
• Phase-change heat transfer enhancement technique by unsteady two-phase flow phenomena
• Self-driven heat transportation technique without electric power devices for fluid circulation

List Page

Global Warming Control Department

Thermal Energy and Combustion Engineering Department

Atmospheric Environmental Protection Department

Hydrospheric Environmental Protection Department

Environmental Assessment Department

Energy Resources Department

Materials Processing Department

Geotechnology Department

Safety Engineering Department

Coal Mine Safety Research Center, Hokkaido

Coal Mine Safety Research Center, Kyushu