The Combustion Institute journal, Combustion and Flame, has published a special issue to honor the work and life of the late Professor Norbert Peters (10 July 1942 – 4 July 2015), RWTH Aachen University, Germany. The special January issue contains twenty-five original research articles by friends and colleagues of Prof. Peters, spanning a range of topics on which he had made significant advances in his own research.
As one of the world-wide authorities in the field of combustion engineering, Prof. Peters headed the Institute for Combustion Technology at RWTH Aachen University. He is widely recognized as one of the few combustion scientists who has made substantial contributions in both turbulent combustion and chemical kinetics. A longtime member of The Combustion Institute, his research has greatly influenced fluid mechanics and combustion science with his seminal and foundational contributions to the theory of flames and flame asymptotics, chemical kinetics, turbulent combustion, and the theory of turbulence.
The first few articles within the special issue of Combustion and Flame report new advances in the chemical kinetics of combustion, including both detailed and reduced chemistry. Several articles explore asymptotic analysis addressing ignition, extinction, and flammability limits for laminar flames. Other articles delve into internal combustion engines, turbulent flames, deflagration to detonation for spherically expanding flames, and multiple other topics which reflect noteworthy aspects of Prof. Peters’ remarkable accomplishments.
Prof. Peters research was always characterized by a deep physical understanding, engineering intuition, and the application of systematic mathematics-based analysis. His excitement for science and his inimitable way of tackling outstanding scientific challenges continues to inspire combustion scientists and practitioners.
The Combustion Institute honors the accomplishments of scientific leaders who make significant contributions for the advancement of many diverse communities around the world. The special issue of Combustion and Flame continues the journal’s objective to publish high quality work from experimental, theoretical, and computational investigations on the fundamentals of combustion phenomena and closely allied matters.