Pyrolysis phenomena in porous media are encountered in a broad variety of high-temperature applications, ranging from thermal conversion processes, through fire protection to thermal protection systems for spacecraft. In the last decade, the state of the art has remarkably advanced in these research fields: numerous theoretical models, computational methods, and experimental facilities have been developed. However, despite strong similarity between these disciplines for their intrinsic physical problem, transfer of ideas, as well as comparison of simulation tools are still scarce.

The objective of this VKI Lecture Series is to allow several research groups with different background to work together and share good (and bad) ideas. The applications selected are: I. Thermal conversion of biomass into biofuel, II. Fire protections, and III. Thermal protection systems for spacecraft atmospheric entries.

The series is tailored to provide professionals and students working and supporting industries and academic research a snap shot of the state of the art on pyrolysis phenomena in porous media. Prominent professors and scientists will present industrial challenges, modelling and simulation strategies, as well as experimental facilities for each application. The first three days, the course will be followed by technical presentations given by the participants on current challenges being addressed in their field of expertise. The fourth day is a workshop dedicated to round table discussions aiming at sharing the scientific challenges and developing a generic experimental-theoretical test case that will be used as a common progress ground.

The directors of this series are Dr. Jean Lachaud, I2M Bordeaux, Prof. Jean-Marie Buchlin, Mr. Philippe Planquart, and Prof. T. Magin, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics.

Monday 1 April 2019

08:45 Registration

09:00 Welcome address
Peter Grognard, Managing Director, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics

Application I: Thermal conversion of biomass

09:15 Pyrolysis, a key step in the thermochemical conversion of biomass, Part I
Prof. Hervé Jeanmart, Catholique University of Louvain, Belgium

10:30 Coffee break

11.00 Pyrolysis, a key step in the thermochemical conversion of biomass, Part II
Prof. Hervé Jeanmart

12:15 Lunch

13:45 Biomass gasification under radiative heat flux
Dr. Victor Pozzobon, Centrale Supélec, France

15:00 Coffee break

15:30 5 oral presentations selected based on submission of extended abstracts

17:30 Welcome reception

Tuesday 2 April 2019

Application II: Fire protections

09:00 Introduction course on fire protections
Prof. Arnaud Trouvé, University of Maryland, USA

10:15 Presentation of the MaCFP working group and workshop
Prof. Arnaud Trouvé

10:30 Coffee break

11:00 Experimental investigation of porous material behavior in fire conditions
Prof. Thomas Rogaume, University of Poitiers, France

12:15 Lunch

13:45 Modeling porous material combustion in fire conditions
Prof. Franck Richard, University of Poitiers, France

15:00 Coffee break

15:30 5 oral presentations selected based on submission of extended abstracts

Wednesday 3 April 2019

Application III: Thermal protection systems for spacecraft

09:00 Introduction course on thermal protection systems for atmospheric entry
Mike Wright, NASA Ames Research Center, USA

10:15 Presentation of the ablation working group and workshop
Dr. Jean Lachaud, I2M Bordeaux, France

10:30 Coffee break

11:00 Experimental investigation of porous material behavior in atmospheric entry conditions
Dr. Bernd Helber, von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, Belgium

12:15 Lunch

13:45 Multi-scale modeling of low-density carbon-phenolic ablators
Dr. Nagi N. Mansour, NASA Ames Research Center, USA

15:00 Coffee break

15:30 5 oral presentations selected based on submission of extended abstracts

Thursday 4 April 2019

Workshop: developing a test case common to the 3 applications

09:00 Proposition of a simple pine wood pyrolysis test case to initiate discussions
Dr. Jean Lachaud

9:30 Round table discussion: scientific challenges for the 3 applications, what would be an ideal material and configuration to work all together
Prof. Hervé Jeanmart, Prof. Franck Richard, Dr. Jean Lachaud

10:30 Coffee break

11:00 Round table discussion: available simulation codes and experimental facilities
Prof. Hervé Jeanmart, Prof. Franck Richard, Dr. Jean Lachaud

12:00 Lunch

Optional activities

13:30 Visit of the VKI experimental facilities

14:30 Drafting experimental and numerical test-cases

15:30 Closing