Professor Emeritus Stanford S. “Sol” Penner, a founder of the engineering program at the University of California San Diego, United States, passed away on 15 July 2016 at the age of 95. A one-time member of The Combustion Institute, Penner’s work has influenced the research of an international society of combustion scientists and practitioners.
In 1973, Prof. Penner became the founding director of the Center for Energy Research (CER), which brought scientific professionals together for critical energy research. Since the early 1970s, Penner worked to create solutions for the growing energy challenges in society, and devoted much of his time to energy conservation, fossil-fuel development, fuel-cell design, and environmental issues.
According to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), Penner is “recognized worldwide for his expertise in thermophysics and his contributions to propulsion, combustion, and basic energy systems. His theoretical and experimental work on relaxation processes during nozzle flow, propellant burning, laminar flames, droplet burning, and ablation has profoundly influenced the nozzle design, scaling, and stabilization of liquid rockets.”
Penner also founded two scientific journals: the Journal of Quantitative Spectroscopy and Radiative Transfer in 1960, and in 1975 he founded Energy, An International Journal.
The Combustion Institute honors the accomplishments of scientific leaders who make significant contributions for the advancement of many diverse communities around the world.