Associate Professor
Ph.D. California Institute of Technology
M.Sc. California Institute of Technology
B.Sc. University of Manitoba
Macdonald Engineering Building, Rm 157 Map
External Website
514-398-2003 [office]
514-398-7365 [Fax]
jeffrey.bergthorson [at] mcgill.ca (Email)
Research Interests
Primary Research Theme: Combustion and Energy Systems
Research Lab/Group: Alternative Fuels
The development of technologies that do not rely on fossil fuels is a major challenge facing society today. Our research program is aimed at the development and validation of models for the combustion properties of alternative and sustainable (bio-derived) fuels through a complementary experimental, computational, and analytical modeling approach. We are also investigating flames of a mixture of solid and gaseous fuels, combustion in heat recirculating burners for Stirling engine generators, the vaporization properties of biofuel/petrofuel blends, and the reaction of metal-water mixtures for hydrogen production.
Current Research Projects
- Premixed flame studies of alternative and traditional fuels:
- Non-premixed flame studies of alternative and traditional fuels:
- Laser diagnostics for NO measurements
- Temperature and species diagnostics using raman spectroscopy
- Alternative-fuel ignition properties
- Stirling-engine burner technologies for biomass cogeneration
- Gas-solid heat transfer effects on flames in small channels
- "Hybrid" flames of gaseous and solid fuels
- Droplet vaporization of biofuel/petrofuel blends
- Metal-water reaction for hydrogen production
- Honours thesis projects
- Graduate research projects
Most Significant Publications
- B Akih-Kumgeh & JM Bergthorson, 2010. Structure-reactivity trends of C1{C4 alkanoic acid methyl esters. Combustion & Flame. (in press). doi:10.1016/j.combustflame.2010.10.021
- KE Noorani, B Akih-Kumgeh, & JM Bergthorson, 2010. Comparative high temperature shock tube ignition of C1{C4 primary alcohols. Energy & Fuels, 24(11):5834{5843.
- B Akih-Kumgeh & JM Bergthorson, 2010. Comparative study of methyl butanoate and n-heptane high temperature autoignition. Energy & Fuels, 24:2439{2448.
- JM Bergthorson, MB Johnson, AM Bonanos, MD Slessor, WJ Su, & PE Dimotakis, 2009. Molecular mixing and °ow¯eld measurements in a recirculating shear °ow. Part I: Subsonic °ow. Flow, Turbulence & Combustion, 83:269{292.
- JM Bergthorson & PE Dimotakis, 2007. Premixed laminar C1{C2 stagnation °ames: experiments and simulations with detailed thermochemistry models. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 31:1139{1147.
- JM Bergthorson, K Sone, TW Mattner, PE Dimotakis, DG Goodwin, & DI Meiron, 2005. Impinging laminar jets at moderate Reynolds numbers and separation distances. Physical Review E, 72(6):066307{1{12.
- More publications
Courses
FACC 510 Energy Analysis 3 Credits
MECH 240. Thermodynamics 1.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Mechanical Engineering (Faculty of Engineering)
Terms offered: Fall 2026
View offerings for
Fall 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Thermodynamic systems and properties. First law of thermodynamics: energy, work and heat. State principle, p-v-T surfaces, phase equilibrium, ideal gas model. Second law of thermodynamics, entropy, exergy analysis. Energy analysis applied to steady and transient engineering systems including heat engines, refrigerators and heat pumps, air compressors.
- (3-1-5)
- Restrictions: Restricted to students in U1 or above.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
Launch Visual Schedule Builder
MECH 341. Thermodynamics 2.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Mechanical Engineering (Faculty of Engineering)
Terms offered: Fall 2026, Winter 2027
Description
Generalized thermodynamics relations. Real gas effects, gas tables, dense gas equations of state and generalized compressibility, enthalpy, and entropy charts. Vapour and gas power cycles (coal/nuclear power plants). Refrigerators and heat pumps. Psychrometry and air conditioning processes. Thermodynamics of reactive gas mixtures.
- (3-1-5)
- Prerequisites:MATH 264 and MECH 240
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
Launch Visual Schedule Builder
MECH 447. Combustion.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Mechanical Engineering (Faculty of Engineering)
Terms offered: Fall 2026
View offerings for
Fall 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Equilibrium analysis of reacting systems, Hugoniot analysis, flame propagation mechanisms, introduction to chemical kinetics, models for laminar flame propagation, ignition, quenching, flammability limits, turbulent flames, flame instability mechanisms, detonations, solid and liquid combustion.
- (3-0-6)
- Prerequisite: MECH 240
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
Launch Visual Schedule Builder
MECH 652. Dynamics of Combustion.
Credits: 4
Offered by: Mechanical Engineering (Graduate Studies)
Terms offered: Fall 2026
View offerings for
Fall 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Chemical thermodynamics and chemical kinetics, Hugoniot analysis of reacting flows, conservation equation for reactive mixtures, Reacting couette flows, boundary layers and shear layers. Laminar premixed flames, Detonation theory and ZND structure. Stability of flames and detonations, limits, ignition energies and quenching distance, dynamic parameters of detonations.
Most students use Visual Schedule Builder (VSB) to organize their schedules. VSB helps you plan class schedules, travel time, and more.
Launch Visual Schedule Builder