Foundations of plasma-assisted combustion: I. Fundamentals of combustion and plasma

Abstract The use of plasma as an innovative solution to enhance combustion has been the focus of intense research for the past two decades. Plasma-assisted ignition and combustion has emerged as a potential solution for numerous industrial applications. This Foundation paper consists of two parts. Part 1 introduces the context and is followed by a brief summary of the reviews done over the last two decades to show the continued relevance of the topic. We then focus on the fundamentals of combustion and introduce the main concepts of the field. In particular, we discuss combustion kinetics, flame propagation modes, and numerical modeling. Following this, a more in-depth description of plasma physics, specifically non-equilibrium plasma, is provided. As in the previous section, the main concepts are highlighted and defined. We discuss electron energy distribution functions, electron-impact cross-sections, and reaction rates, with a focus on dissociation and fast gas heating which are of particular relevance in the field of plasma-assisted combustion. Finally, elements of numerical modeling are provided. Part 2 of the article will describe the topic of plasma-assisted combustion from the description of fundamental mechanisms to novel combustion systems of importance for the energy transition.