Combustion Research

Typical combustion research applications

Engine, turbine and marine emissions

Study combustion efficiency and pollutant formation across a wide range of engines, including passenger vehicles, heavy-duty engines, gas turbines, and marine engines. FTIR enables simultaneous monitoring of unburnt hydrocarbons, CO, NOx, greenhouse gases, and trace compounds under varying load, fuel type, and operating conditions, from laboratory test cells to large-scale marine engine research.

Laboratory reactors, pilot boilers & carbon capture research

Monitor reactant consumption and product formation in combustion research rigs, laboratory reactors, and bench-scale furnaces. FTIR supports validation of kinetic models, reaction pathways, and mass balances, even in hot and wet gas streams. These capabilities are equally valuable in carbon capture and utilization research, where understanding both combustion exhaust and solvent-related compounds is critical.

Fuel & additive development

Evaluate how alternative fuels and additives influence combustion behavior and emissions. FTIR’s wide compound coverage allows researchers to compare conventional fuels with emerging options such as biofuels, hydrogen blends, or methanol, while simultaneously detecting expected products and unexpected by-products.

Catalyst research & process optimization

Catalysts play a central role in combustion control, exhaust aftertreatment, and emissions reduction. FTIR enables detailed monitoring of catalyst performance, conversion efficiency, and by-product formation during catalyst development and optimization. In broader process optimization, FTIR supports data-driven adjustments that improve combustion fuel efficiency while minimizing environmental impact.

Uncontrolled combustion & fire research

Combustion research is not limited to controlled and intended burning. FTIR is also applied in fire testing and battery thermal runaway studies, where the focus is on understanding gas-phase emissions during uncontrolled combustion events. Measuring toxic and reactive gases released during fires or battery failures provides critical insight for safety research, hazard assessment, and mitigation strategies.

Proven in peer-reviewed research

Gasmet FTIR solutions are trusted in peer-reviewed combustion and emissions research worldwide. Browse research papers and studies that reference Gasmet analyzers in real measurement setups.

Why use FTIR for combustion research?

Combustion involves numerous gas-phase species, from major products like CO₂, CO, NOx, methanol, unburnt hydrocarbons, and VOCs. Traditional single-parameter analyzers can miss this complexity, limiting insight and slowing the research process, meaning you need to:

• Stack multiple instruments (expensive and space-consuming)
• Split your sample stream (introducing uncertainty)
• Miss compounds you didn’t think to measure
• Spend weeks troubleshooting when different analyzers give conflicting data

Research teams with 8-10 different analyzers trying to characterize a single exhaust stream are more inefficient, and worse, they can’t see interactions between different combustion products when each analyzer operates independently.

Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy delivers:

• One sample, one analyzer, dozens of measurements
• Response times under 60 seconds for dynamic processes
• Detection of compounds you didn’t anticipate
• Quantitative data accurate enough for peer-reviewed publications

FTIR’s simultaneous multi-gas measurement has been applied in advanced research settings, for example, Intertek’s emissions testing facility uses Gasmet FTIR to analyze engine exhaust across multiple test cells, measuring everything from regulated pollutants to trace compounds in challenging conditions.

Measurable compounds with FTIR

Gasmet FTIR systems can quantify over 500, identify over 5000 gas species, including:

• Major combustion products: CO₂, CO, H₂O
• Oxides of nitrogen: NO, NO₂, N₂O
• Hydrocarbons & VOCs: CH₄, C₂H₆, formaldehyde
• Trace and toxic species: HCN, NH₃, SO₂, HF

Specific measurable gas lists depend on instrument model, calibration package, and research setup. Check our extensive spectrum library for compound of you interest.

GT6000 Mobilis Portable FTIR Gas Analyzer
Versatile system that adapts to your research environment. The same analyzer works in your lab for bench-scale studies, travels to field sites for on-site testing, and can even be deployed on ships or mobile test rigs. Perfect when you need flexibility to move between laboratory combustion experiments and real-world engine testing.

Continuous emission monitoring system CEMS
Laboratory-grade stationary system powered by the CX4000 FTIR analyzer, designed for long-term continuous measurements when your equipment stays in place. Ideal for pilot plants, permanent test cells, and extended combustion studies where you need reliable 24/7 monitoring without relocating the analyzer.