Chemical kinetics of flameless combustion

Flameless combustion, a process based on autoignition of convection transported kernels at the boundaries or even outside the lower explosive/flammability, is a promising candidate capable of simultaneously meeting emission reduction and efficiency improvement. Despite many similarities with more traditional combustion regimes, some key characteristics of flameless combustion are being untangled through experimental, theoretical, and kinetic modeling efforts that may even limit the broader industrial implementation of flameless combustion technologies. Overall, this chapter aims to review the state of the art in flameless combustion from a purely thermochemical kinetics standpoint and discuss the impact of peculiar chemical and thermal effects. Then, it highlights the hidden features and critical reaction pathways as well as identifying aspects of the kinetic mechanisms that require further revision.