11th SASCI Meeting

Events held by sections and affiliates of The Combustion Institute assist in our objective to promote and disseminate research activities and information in all areas of combustion science and technology. We are pleased to showcase the successes and contributions of our members among our international community of combustion scientists and practitioners. 

The Saudi Arabian Section of the Combustion Institute (SASCI) hosted its 11th Annual Meeting in a virtual platform over 12-13 October 2021. The meeting was jointly organized by the Clean Combustion Research Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the Transport Technologies Division at Saudi Aramco Research and Development Center.

The meeting featured four keynote talks, delivered by leaders in combustion-related sectors: Mr. Yehia Khoja (Ministerial: Saudi Arabia Ministry of Energy), Prof. Bassam Dally (Academia: KAUST), Dr. Umesh Patil (Industry: Air Products Technology Center), and Prof. Sophie Colson (Academia: Tohoku University). In addition, there were a total of 52 technical talks presented over 8 sessions. The organizing committee granted a best speaker award in each of the sessions:
1. Applications of ML/AI tools: Zahra Al Ibrahim, Saudi Aramco (Machine learning model for gasoline compression ignition at low loads).
2. Low carbon fuels and CCUS: Xiaoyuan Zhang, KAUST (A decoupling model approach to studying the pyrolysis and oxidation of C6-C10 saturated fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs)).
3. Fundamental combustion research, measurement techniques and modelling: Ammar Alkhalifa, KAUST (Active control of thermoacoustic instabilities in a premixed laminar flame using time phased bursts of nanosecond repetitively pulsed discharges).
4. Engines and power generation systems with lower carbon footprint: Mickael Silva, KAUST (A computational investigation of the combustion behavior and turbulence-chemistry interaction in a narrow-throat prechamber combustion engine).
5. Hydrogen and ammonia as energy carriers: Fabiyan Shamsudheen, KAUST (Hydrogen evolution from hydrocarbon pyrolysis in a simulated liquid metal bubble column reactor).
6. Air quality and fuel criteria pollutants: Mhanna Mhanna, KAUST (An interference-free laser-based methane sensor using cepstral analysis).
7. Combustion measurement techniques, diagnostics and emissions: Ali Elkhazraji, KAUST (A laser diagnostic for HCN detection in mid-infrared).
8. Combustion and reaction kinetics: Jinan Aljaziri, KAUST (Kinetic and product analysis of the pyrolysis of Salicornia bigelovii under CO2 and N2 atmospheres).