Fundamentals of Combustion Course | IIT Madras | Prof. V. Raghavan
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 78 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Elective |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Categories | Mechanical Engineering, Computational Thermo Fluids, Propulsion |
| Credit Points | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 20 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 17 Apr 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Master the Fundamentals of Combustion: A Deep Dive into a Core Engineering Discipline
Combustion is the driving force behind modern civilization, powering everything from vehicle engines and power plants to industrial processes. A deep understanding of its principles is crucial for engineers aiming to design efficient, clean, and safe energy systems. The "Fundamentals of Combustion" course, offered by the prestigious Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), provides a rigorous and comprehensive foundation in this critical field.
Course Overview & Instructor Profile
This 12-week course is meticulously designed for undergraduate and postgraduate students, as well as researchers. It is led by Prof. V. Raghavan, a distinguished expert from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at IIT Madras.
Prof. Raghavan brings immense academic and research credibility to the program. He earned his PhD from IIT Madras itself and further honed his expertise through post-doctoral research at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA. Since joining IITM in 2007, he has built a formidable research portfolio in areas critical to combustion science, including:
- Evaporation and combustion of liquid fuel droplets
- Laminar flames and flame spread
- Fire modeling and liquid fuel pool combustion
- Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) for reacting flows
- Coal gasification
His hands-on experience in both fundamental theory and applied research ensures the course content is both academically sound and practically relevant.
Who Should Take This Course?
This course is ideally suited for:
- UG, PG, MS, and PhD students in Mechanical, Aerospace, Chemical, and Energy Engineering.
- Researchers beginning work in combustion, propulsion, fire safety, or energy systems.
- Professionals in industries like power generation, automotive, aerospace, and heavy manufacturing seeking to strengthen their core technical knowledge.
The course has garnered support from leading industries, including TATA Steel, Thermax, and BHEL, underscoring its direct relevance to real-world engineering challenges.
Detailed 12-Week Course Layout
The curriculum is structured to build knowledge from the ground up, seamlessly integrating thermodynamics, chemistry, and fluid mechanics.
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Fuels and their properties |
| Week 2 | Review of basic thermodynamics of ideal gas mixtures |
| Week 3 | Stoichiometry |
| Week 4 | First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics applied to combustion; Equilibrium products |
| Week 5 | Mass transfer basics |
| Week 6 | Fundamentals of combustion kinetics |
| Week 7 | Governing equations for a reacting flow |
| Week 8 | General characteristics of combustion flame and detonation |
| Week 9 | Laminar flame propagation, Flammability limits, Ignition, Flame stabilization |
| Week 10 | Gas jets and combustion of gaseous fuel jets |
| Week 11 | Turbulent premixed and non-premixed flames |
| Week 12 | Droplet evaporation and combustion |
| Week 13 | Combustion of a carbon particle |
Key Learning Objectives
By the end of this course, participants will be equipped to:
- Apply thermodynamic principles specifically to combustion systems.
- Analyze fuel properties, stoichiometry, and chemical equilibrium in reactive flows.
- Understand the fundamentals of chemical kinetics and mass transfer as they relate to burning processes.
- Comprehend the governing mathematics of reactive flows and the key simplifying assumptions.
- Distinguish between different combustion modes (laminar vs. turbulent, premixed vs. non-premixed, flame vs. detonation).
- Model and analyze specific phenomena like droplet combustion, flame propagation, and particle burning.
Essential Reference Books
The course draws from seminal textbooks in the field, providing students with a robust library for deep study:
- S. R. Turns, An Introduction to Combustion: Concepts and Applications (McGraw Hill, 2010)
- F. A. Williams, Combustion Theory (ABP)
- I. Glassman, Combustion (Academic Press)
- K. Kuo, Principles of Combustion (John Wiley)
Why Study Combustion Fundamentals?
In an era focused on energy efficiency and emission reduction, combustion science is more important than ever. This course provides the foundational toolkit needed to tackle global challenges in clean energy, sustainable propulsion, advanced power generation, and industrial process optimization. Whether you aim for a career in research, automotive design, aerospace, or energy consulting, mastering these fundamentals under the guidance of an IIT Madras expert is an invaluable step forward.
Embark on this 12-week journey to decode the complex and fascinating science of fire and fuel, and power your engineering career with essential knowledge.
Enroll Now →