Prof. Rosner is Director of the Yale High Temperature Chemical Reaction Engineering (HTCRE) Laboratory

Transport Phenomena in Reacting Flows

Three broad areas of technology motivate my research and teaching in multiphase/chemically reacting flow transport phenomena:

1) The use of combustion to synthesize and process new materials,
     including nano-powders and high value-added coatings; 

2) Efficiency and materials compatibility issues in engineering equipment
     operating under extreme conditions, particularly under high
     temperatures;

3) Environmental consequences of combustion and materials
     synthesis/processing, especially the control of particulate matter.

In my research group we carry out fundamental studies (bench-scale experiments and theoretical studies) to support rapid advances in these technologies. Sol reaction engineering (SRE) provides a unifying theme and many of our results provide new quantitative methods that increase realism in design/optimization calculations. Frequently, our results suggest novel control/optimization strategies or instruments for fine particle formation and collection processes. The important role of interfacial phenomena (molecular transport, chemical/nucleation kinetics, adsorption) in these applications provides strong intellectual links to the activies of colleagues in many other departments. Moreover, multi-phase phenomena in combustion systems provides a focus for the Yale Center for Combustion Studies.

Current areas of research in the High Temperature Chemical Reaction Engineering (HTCRE) Laboratory:

-Particle synthesis/transport/restructuring in seeded laminar counterflow
  diffusion flames; sol reaction engineering.

-Transport processes in the formation of deposits/coatings.

-Factors governing deposit growth rate, Composition, microstructure,
  and surface topography.

-Boundary conditions at vapor/solid interfaces (including non-isothermal
  porous solids).

-Transport phenomena in highly-loaded, non-isothermal flowing
  suspensions.

-Kinetics of high temperature heterogeneous chemical reactions,
  including "ablation."

 

Selected Publications

"Nucleation Mechanism for Freezing of Alumina in Solid Propellant Rocket Motor Nozzles," D.E. Rosner, AIAA-J Propulsion and Power, 20(2), 380-383 (2004).

"Multi-variate Population Balances via Moment- and Monte Carlo Simulation Methods," D.E. Rosner, R.L. McGraw, and P. Tandon, Industrial/Engineering Chem-Research (ACS), (invited paper for O. Levenspiel issue), 42, 2699-2711 (2003).

"Bi-variate Moment Simulation of Coagulating and Sintering Nano-particles in Flames," D.E. Rosner and J.J. Pyykonen, AIChE J, 48(3), 476-491 (2002).

"Multi-component Fuel Droplet Vaporization and Combustion Using Spectral Continuous Mixture Theory," M. Arias-Zugasti and D.E. Rosner, Combustion & Flame, 135(3), 271-284 (2003).

Multiphase phenomena in combustion systems is also the focus of the Yale Center for Combustion Studies. This Center involves faculty from Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, and Applied Physics.