I am honored to accept the position of President of the Combustion Society of Japan, succeeding former President Fujimori. As I take on the heavy responsibility of leading this prestigious and historically significant society, I feel a deep sense of commitment and determination.
In a time when the very use of combustion is criticized in some countries, the global energy supply and demand structure is undergoing dramatic changes. Under the significant shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, humanity must navigate this transitional period with scientifically and economically rational means while considering the global environment. Combustion continues to be indispensable in providing energy for numerous fields, including power generation, transportation, residential use, and various industries. It is essential not only to curb the increase in carbon dioxide concentration but also to contribute to its reduction, thereby promoting human progress.
For instance, the global automotive industry, especially in the realm of small and medium-sized vehicles, is rapidly moving towards electrification. However, pushing for large-scale vehicle electrification while still relying heavily on fossil fuels for primary energy in power generation simply shifts the source of carbon dioxide emissions from one sector to another. Without synchronizing this shift with the transformation of primary energy sources for power generation, it could paradoxically lead to a rapid increase in overall electricity demand and subsequently raise carbon dioxide emissions.
We need international actions based on analyses like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and transition plans that accurately capture the scope of the issues, considering the circumstances of each country. Achieving international consensus and cooperation is essential. To this end, it is necessary to establish a balanced energy mix that incorporates international transportation and storage of energy sources and leverages emerging technologies that are gaining rapid attention.
I look forward to working with all of you to advance the goals of the Combustion Society of Japan and contribute to the development of sustainable and effective energy solutions.
Currently, there is vigorous research and development worldwide aimed at utilizing hydrogen. Hydrogen and fuel ammonia have garnered significant global attention, with Japan leading the way by adopting these as crucial national strategies for energy transition, gaining substantial international traction. This development holds significant implications not only for the members of our society and related parties in Japan but also globally. Initiatives like the SIP project, which focuses on ammonia as a hydrogen energy carrier, have paved the way for Japan’s foundational combustion research to enable the direct combustion of fuel ammonia. This approach offers a promising means of achieving energy transition with scientific and economic rationality while utilizing existing infrastructure worldwide.
Furthermore, solving the issues related to the production, transportation, and storage of hydrogen, including ammonia, in island nations like Japan that lack pipelines, will provide multiple options for achieving carbon neutrality during the transition period, especially when combined with co-combustion technologies.
From a combustion perspective, the burning velocity of hydrogen is approximately several meters per second at normal temperature and pressure, compared to 0.5 to 1 meter per second for hydrocarbon fuels, and about 0.1 meters per second for ammonia. Given the combustion technology’s capability to skillfully control nitrogen oxide emissions across such varied reaction timescales, there is potential for the adept use of these diverse fuels. The field of combustion, being one of the most advanced within reactive fluid dynamics, is expected to continue its balanced development by incorporating new domains such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, extending beyond hydrogen and ammonia combustion.
Although less attention is paid to it in Japan, globally, the necessity of research on fire and explosion, especially concerning forest fires and disaster response, is increasing. The importance of combustion research is poised to rise rather than decline, considering the background of the clean energy movement, including hydrogen and ammonia (grey, blue, green), the use of conventional fuels in combination with CCUS, and the expansion of synthetic fuels like SAF and e-fuel. Indeed, international conferences on combustion, which have resumed post-pandemic, have set record participation levels, indicating a global surge in interest in combustion research. Additionally, the growing global interest in faster transportation and propulsion technologies in the aerospace field represents a visionary area that could significantly expand human activities.
The Combustion Society of Japan has been participating in the global community as the Japan section of The Combustion Institute. Historically, Japan has led the global development in various fields, such as droplet combustion, counterflow flames, microgravity flames, high-temperature air combustion, and fuel ammonia. Despite the cold reception of combustion research in some advanced countries, Japan’s national policy advocates a balanced energy mix, and diverse R&D portfolios are proposed in key industries like automotive, heavy industry, and manufacturing, which are the pillars of our national strength.
The Board of Directors of the Combustion Society of Japan comprises 35 members, half of whom are corporate directors. As a platform for cooperation between industrial technological development, which underpins national strength, and fundamental research in academia, as well as a venue for networking and training young researchers and engineers on the international stage, the activities of the Combustion Society of Japan will continue to develop. I will devote my utmost efforts to these endeavors. I look forward to the continued efforts and cooperation of all concerned parties.
I am honored to accept the position of President of the Combustion Society of Japan, succeeding former President Fujimori. As I take on the heavy responsibility of leading this prestigious and historically significant society, I feel a deep sense of commitment and determination.
In a time when the very use of combustion is criticized in some countries, the global energy supply and demand structure is undergoing dramatic changes. Under the significant shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy, humanity must navigate this transitional period with scientifically and economically rational means while considering the global environment. Combustion continues to be indispensable in providing energy for numerous fields, including power generation, transportation, residential use, and various industries. It is essential not only to curb the increase in carbon dioxide concentration but also to contribute to its reduction, thereby promoting human progress.
For instance, the global automotive industry, especially in the realm of small and medium-sized vehicles, is rapidly moving towards electrification. However, pushing for large-scale vehicle electrification while still relying heavily on fossil fuels for primary energy in power generation simply shifts the source of carbon dioxide emissions from one sector to another. Without synchronizing this shift with the transformation of primary energy sources for power generation, it could paradoxically lead to a rapid increase in overall electricity demand and subsequently raise carbon dioxide emissions.
We need international actions based on analyses like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and transition plans that accurately capture the scope of the issues, considering the circumstances of each country. Achieving international consensus and cooperation is essential. To this end, it is necessary to establish a balanced energy mix that incorporates international transportation and storage of energy sources and leverages emerging technologies that are gaining rapid attention.
I look forward to working with all of you to advance the goals of the Combustion Society of Japan and contribute to the development of sustainable and effective energy solutions.
Currently, there is vigorous research and development worldwide aimed at utilizing hydrogen. Hydrogen and fuel ammonia have garnered significant global attention, with Japan leading the way by adopting these as crucial national strategies for energy transition, gaining substantial international traction. This development holds significant implications not only for the members of our society and related parties in Japan but also globally. Initiatives like the SIP project, which focuses on ammonia as a hydrogen energy carrier, have paved the way for Japan’s foundational combustion research to enable the direct combustion of fuel ammonia. This approach offers a promising means of achieving energy transition with scientific and economic rationality while utilizing existing infrastructure worldwide.
Furthermore, solving the issues related to the production, transportation, and storage of hydrogen, including ammonia, in island nations like Japan that lack pipelines, will provide multiple options for achieving carbon neutrality during the transition period, especially when combined with co-combustion technologies.
From a combustion perspective, the burning velocity of hydrogen is approximately several meters per second at normal temperature and pressure, compared to 0.5 to 1 meter per second for hydrocarbon fuels, and about 0.1 meters per second for ammonia. Given the combustion technology’s capability to skillfully control nitrogen oxide emissions across such varied reaction timescales, there is potential for the adept use of these diverse fuels. The field of combustion, being one of the most advanced within reactive fluid dynamics, is expected to continue its balanced development by incorporating new domains such as machine learning, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing, extending beyond hydrogen and ammonia combustion.
Although less attention is paid to it in Japan, globally, the necessity of research on fire and explosion, especially concerning forest fires and disaster response, is increasing. The importance of combustion research is poised to rise rather than decline, considering the background of the clean energy movement, including hydrogen and ammonia (grey, blue, green), the use of conventional fuels in combination with CCUS, and the expansion of synthetic fuels like SAF and e-fuel. Indeed, international conferences on combustion, which have resumed post-pandemic, have set record participation levels, indicating a global surge in interest in combustion research. Additionally, the growing global interest in faster transportation and propulsion technologies in the aerospace field represents a visionary area that could significantly expand human activities.
The Combustion Society of Japan has been participating in the global community as the Japan section of The Combustion Institute. Historically, Japan has led the global development in various fields, such as droplet combustion, counterflow flames, microgravity flames, high-temperature air combustion, and fuel ammonia. Despite the cold reception of combustion research in some advanced countries, Japan’s national policy advocates a balanced energy mix, and diverse R&D portfolios are proposed in key industries like automotive, heavy industry, and manufacturing, which are the pillars of our national strength.
The Board of Directors of the Combustion Society of Japan comprises 35 members, half of whom are corporate directors. As a platform for cooperation between industrial technological development, which underpins national strength, and fundamental research in academia, as well as a venue for networking and training young researchers and engineers on the international stage, the activities of the Combustion Society of Japan will continue to develop. I will devote my utmost efforts to these endeavors. I look forward to the continued efforts and cooperation of all concerned parties.