Welcome to the webpage for the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Combustion is the power source of the future for most aerospace propulsion applications, as well as an important means of electrical power generation and ground transportation. However, combustion also (currently) is a major contributor to climate change and a consumer of non-renewable resources. Research and education at the Ben T. Zinn Combustion Lab (BTZ) is enabling a sustainable future, in which advanced transportation and power systems push into new performance domains while using renewable and low-impact fuels. You can read more about BTZ's rich history of of innovation here.

While we refer to BTZ as a “lab”, it really goes far beyond that; BTZ is a tight knit group of students, staff, and faculty whose activities range from experimental light/matter interactions to some of the most advanced computational simulations in the world. The main BTZ experimental facility is the 20,000 sq. ft. Combustion Laboratory, which houses the air and fuel supply systems, numerous test bays for high-pressure experiments, laser diagnostics, shock tubes, etc. BTZ’s state-of-the-art infrastructure allows us perform experiments at the real conditions found inside advanced engines, a capability matched by only a few academic facilities in the world. New test cells are coming online in the adjacent Carbon Neutral Energy Solutions Laboratory. Computational research leverages the Georgia Tech PACE system, as well as national supercomputing facilities like Summit.

Students are the core of everything that happens at BTZ. Around 60 graduate students typically are pursuing advanced degrees in the lab at a given time (mostly at the PhD level). These degrees are administrated by the home unit of the students’ academic advisor (mostly Aerospace Engineering and Mechanical Engineering). Undergraduate students also have a place at BTZ, with generally around 30 BS students gaining research experience each semester.

The faculty at BTZ are internationally recognized for the excellence of their research programs and have won many significant awards for their work. Further details on their research can be found on this website. BTZ researchers also have strong connections with the aerospace industry and government. We welcome the chance for further collaboration, so please contact us if you see the potential for common interests.

K-12 teachers who wish to arrange a tour of BTZ for their students should contact us using this form. If you are an undergraduate or graduate student who is interested in obtaining further information about our research activities, please read the instructions here.

Graduates of our programs are very successful in obtaining employment in the aerospace sector and have made many significant contributions. If you wish to continue this tradition, please explore rest of this website. BTZ provides an excellent working environment for faculty, staff, and students. We look forward to welcoming you in person.

Adam Steinberg