combustionbased

Combustionbased is a term used to describe energy systems that rely on the combustion of a fuel with an oxidizer to release heat. This heat is typically converted into work or electricity by engines, turbines, or boilers. The term contrasts with non-combustion technologies such as electric motors or nuclear power.

Applications include transportation (internal combustion engines for cars, trucks, and aircraft), power generation (gas turbines and steam boilers), and industrial heating. Fuels range from fossil fuels—gasoline, diesel, and natural gas—to biofuels and hydrogen, and increasingly synthetic fuels. Common cycles associated with combustionbased devices are the Otto and Diesel cycles for engines and the Brayton and Rankine cycles for turbines and steam systems.

Efficiency and emissions: The efficiency of combustionbased systems is limited by thermodynamics and design. Modern piston engines achieve significant portions of useful work, while modern gas turbines in combined-cycle plants can exceed half of the input energy as electricity. Combustion generates emissions such as CO2, CO, NOx, and particulates; controls include catalytic converters, exhaust gas recirculation, selective catalytic reduction, and particle filters.

Trends: Ongoing research seeks lower-emission and higher-efficiency combustion, fuel flexibility (including hydrogen and biofuels), and advanced combustion modes such as lean burn and homogeneous charge compression ignition. In stationary use, carbon capture and storage is explored for large installations. Combustionbased technology remains a major part of the energy landscape, often in balance with electrification and renewable sources.