Wenting Sun
Prof. Wenting Sun received his B.E. and M.E. degrees from Tsinghua University, Beijing in 2005 and 2007, respectively, and his Ph.D. degree from Princeton University in 2013. He joined Georgia Tech in July 2013. Dr. Sun’s research spans on combustion simulation, combustion kinetics, and plasma/ozone assisted combustion. He develops new numerical algorithms to accelerate large scale CFD simulation using predictive kinetic models. His work on plasma/ozone assisted combustion is to induce plasma generated species into combustion system to enable combustion at extreme conditions. Dr. Sun has developed a high pressure shock tube with unique capability allowing investigation of combustion kinetics for future power generation systems.
Professor Sun’s teaching interests include fundamental and advanced courses in aerospace engineering, emphasizing fluid mechanics and combustion. He engages both undergraduate and graduate students to develop a deep understanding of both physics and chemistry relevant to aerospace applications. His instruction integrates theoretical principles with practical computational tools to prepare students for research and professional work in combustion and related areas.
Professor Sun’s research focuses on combustion, with particular emphasis on combustion kinetics and plasma-assisted combustion. His work addresses the challenges of enabling combustion under extreme conditions, reducing emissions, and understanding the chemical effects of a variety of fuels in propulsion systems.
Lab/Collaborations:
- Strategic Energy Institute (SEI)
- Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory
Disciplines:
- Propulsion & Combustion
AE Multidisciplinary Research Areas:
- Sustainable Transportation and Energy Systems
B.E., Engineering Physics, 2005, Tsinghua University; M.E., Engineering Physics, 2007, Tsinghua University; Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, 2013, Princeton University;
The Irvin Glassman Young Investigator Award from the Eastern States Sections of the Combustion Institute in 2018; the AFOSR Young Investigator Program Award in 2016; Bernard Lewis Fellowship, the Combustion Institute, 2012; Distinguished Paper, the 33rd International Symposium on Combustion, 2011
- C. W. Godbold, C. Segatori, C. J. Mueller, C. Genzale, A. Piano, A. M. Steinberg, “Impact of pilot injections on ducted fuel injection performance,” International Journal of Engine Research, In Press (2025)
- E. R. Jans, S. P. Kearney, A. M. Steinberg, M. K. Matzen, N. P. Brown, “Single-shot femtosecond laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in low-density gases,” Journal of Applied Physics, 138(12) (2025)
- K. Teav, H. Jean-Ruel, A. M. Steinberg, “Performance loss and recovery of virtually imaged phased arrays with imperfect mirror parallelism,” Applied Optics, 64(26):7834 (2025)
- A. Jain, I. M. Obi, V. Salazar, M. Kodali, K. Venkatesan, Y. C. Mazumdar, A. M. Steinberg, “Characterization of a lean premixed prevaporized combustor with conventional and sustainable fuel,” AIAA Journal (2025)
- D. Purushotham, C. H. Lim, A. M. Steinberg, D. Ranjan, J. C. Oefelein, “Joint numerical and experimental investigation of turbulent mixing in a supercritical CO2 shear layer,” Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1008:A17 (2025)