Combustion Oscillation Mechanisms and Control in Low-Emission Combustors for Aero-Engines
Lecture Topic: Combustion Oscillation Mechanisms and Control in Low-Emission Combustors for Aero-Engines
Expert: Han Xiao
Date: December 9, 2025
Time: 14:00
Location: Room 1517, Energy Research Institute
Organizer: Energy Research Institute
Speaker Profile:
Han Xiao is a researcher at Beihang University, specializing in clean and low-carbon combustion technologies for aero-engines and gas turbines. His research focuses on low-emission combustion organization, hydrogen-fueled combustor design, combustion oscillation mechanisms and control, among other areas. He has been deeply involved in the preliminary research of low-emission combustor concepts for domestic large aircraft engines and specialized projects targeting combustion oscillations. Additionally, he has developed a discrete flame combustion method for hydrogen fuel applications. He has led several national-level major projects and general programs of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, along with eight research projects commissioned by organizations such as AECC Commercial Aircraft Engine Co., Ltd., AECC Shenyang Engine Research Institute, AECC Gas Turbine Co., Ltd., and COMAC Beijing Aeronautical Science & Technology Research Institute. He has published over 40 SCI-indexed papers, more than 30 EI-indexed papers, and holds more than ten authorized invention patents. He serves as a council member of the Beijing Society of Thermal Physics and Energy Engineering and as a youth editorial board member for journals such as Propulsion and Energy and the Journal of Aerospace Power. He has also been selected for talent programs such as the Youth Talent Promotion Project of the China Association for Science and Technology.
Research Expertise:
Design of multi-fuel low-emission combustors (aviation kerosene, methane, hydrogen)
Combustion oscillation mechanisms and control methods
Innovative applications of artificial intelligence in combustion
Lecture Summary:
Combustion oscillation, often regarded as a persistent challenge in the development of low-emission combustors for aero-engines, involves intense coupling between pressure fluctuations and heat release. This phenomenon not only poses a serious threat to the structural integrity of engines but also represents a key bottleneck in achieving next-generation ultra-low-pollution combustion technologies. A deep understanding and effective control of combustion oscillations are therefore critically important for ensuring flight safety, enhancing engine reliability, and realizing the goals of green aviation. In recent years, the Aero-Engine Combustion Research Team at Beihang University has taken on this core challenge, conducting systematic and in-depth fundamental and applied research. Focusing on the swirling flame configuration typical of hydrocarbon fuels, the team has explored the fundamental physical mechanisms to reveal the occurrence patterns, instability boundaries, and key influencing factors of combustion oscillations, deepening the understanding of the complex coupling among fluid dynamics, chemical reactions, and acoustics underlying unstable combustion phenomena. Building on this, the team has innovatively explored and developed real-time monitoring and prediction methods for combustion oscillations based on advanced optical imaging techniques (such as flame luminosity, OH* chemiluminescence, and PIV flow field measurements), providing powerful new tools for assessing combustion stability. Moreover, significant progress has been made in passive control strategies, exploring various effective approaches to suppress oscillations, including geometric optimization, Helmholtz resonators, and acoustic damping materials, offering crucial support for the stable design of low-emission combustors. In response to the trend toward diversified aviation energy sources, the team has also extended its research to zero-carbon hydrogen fuel, initiating exploratory studies on the characteristics and suppression techniques of hydrogen flame combustion oscillations, thereby accumulating valuable early-stage experience for the development of hydrogen-fueled aero-engine combustors. This lecture will systematically present the latest research achievements of the Beihang Aero-Engine Combustion Team in the fundamental theory of combustion oscillations, advanced prediction techniques, and effective control methods. It will also share preliminary explorations and reflections on the emerging frontier of hydrogen flame oscillations, aiming to contribute insights and solutions to this critical challenge in the development of low-emission combustors for aero-engines.
Faculty and students are welcome to attend!
