Jeongwon Kim
Jeongwon Kim portrait

Assistant Professor

Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
University of South Florida

Advanced Propulsion, Combustion, and Reacting Flow Diagnostics

Jeongwon Kim, Ph.D.

I lead an experimental and modeling research program focused on combustion instabilities, ignition processes, liquid-fueled propulsion, and optical diagnostics for reacting flows. My work spans gas turbines, rocket and air-breathing propulsion, and emerging pressure-gain combustion concepts.

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About Me

I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of South Florida. My research focuses on reacting flows and propulsion systems, with particular interest in combustion instability, ignition, liquid-fuel combustion, advanced propulsion concepts, and laser/optical diagnostics.

My prior work includes studies of thermoacoustic instabilities in gas turbine combustors, spray ignition under controlled flow environments, and reduced-order modeling of rotating detonation engine dynamics. My group combines carefully designed experiments with mechanistic modeling to better understand combustion physics relevant to practical propulsion systems.

Combustion instability Ignition Reacting flows Gas turbines Rocket propulsion Optical diagnostics

Quick Info

Department: Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, USF

Research style: Primarily experiments, with supporting modeling

Lab focus: Advanced propulsion and combustion

Email: jeongwonkim@usf.edu

Office/Lab: ENC 2206

Research

Combustion Instabilities

Experimental and theoretical investigation of thermoacoustic coupling, azimuthal modes, modal interactions, and nonlinear dynamics in combustors relevant to gas turbine and pressure-gain systems.

Ignition and Liquid Fuel Combustion

Studies of pilot-main injection, ignition delay, spray-flame interaction, and practical liquid-fuel ignition behavior under controlled flow and engine-relevant environments.

Advanced Propulsion Concepts

Rotating detonation engines, pressure-gain combustion, startup augmentation concepts for small turbojets, and other high-performance propulsion technologies.

Optical Diagnostics

OH* chemiluminescence, schlieren imaging, laser-based diagnostics, and high-speed optical methods for resolving transient reacting flow structures.

Reduced-Order Modeling

Low-order and mechanistic models for unsteady combustion and rotating detonation dynamics, aimed at understanding dominant physics rather than simply fitting data.

Student Opportunities

Prospective students with interests in propulsion, combustion, experiments, and fluid mechanics are encouraged to contact me.

Education & Experience

Education

2016–2021

Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering

Georgia Institute of Technology

2010–2016

B.S. in Mechanical Engineering

Korea University

Professional Experience

2026 - Current

Assistant Professor

Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of South Florida

2022–2025

Postdoctoral Researcher

DEVCOM Army Research Laboratory

2016–2021

Graduate Research Assistant

Georgia Institute of Technology

Publications

Journal Papers

  • Kim, J., Mayhew, E., Coburn, V., Temme, J., & Kweon, C. B. (2026). Pilot Injection Impact on Ignition of F-24/ATJ Blends Under Various Conditions. Journal of Propulsion and Power, 42(1), 20-34.
  • Kim, J., Mayhew, E., Coburn, V., Temme, J., & Kweon, C. B. (2024). Effects of pilot injection on ignition performance for F-24/Gasoline fuel blends. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute, 40(1-4), 105218.
  • Rieth, M., Kim, J., Mayhew, E., Temme, J., Kweon, C.B.M., Wiersema, P., Lee, T., Chen, J. (2024). Numerical and Experimental Investigation of Single and Multi-Injection Ignition of F-24/ATJ Blends. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute (under publication).
  • Kim, J., Isono, M., & Saito, T. (2023). Nonlinear interactions between the fundamental and its harmonics of self-excited azimuthal thermoacoustic instabilities. Combustion and Flame, 258, 113070.
  • Kim, J., John, T., Adhikari, S., Wu, D., Emerson, B., Acharya, V., Saitoh, T., Isono, M. & Lieuwen, T. C. (2022). Experimental Investigation of Interaction Between Two Closely Spaced Thermoacoustic Azimuthal Modes in a Multi-Nozzle Can Combustor. ASME Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power, 144(10), 101021.
  • Kim, J., John, T., Adhikari, S., Wu, D., Emerson, B., Acharya, V., Isono, M., Saito, T. and Lieuwen, T. (2022). Nonlinear dynamics of combustor azimuthal modes: Experiments and modeling. Combustion and Flame, 238, 111931.
  • Kim, J., Emerson, B., Acharya, V., Hale, A., and Lieuwen, T. (2022). Optimal Sensor Placement for Azimuthal Acoustic Modes in Cylindrical Ducts. AIAA Journal, doi: 10.2514/1.J061412.
  • Kim, J., Gillman, W., Emerson, B., Wu, D., John, T., Acharya, V., Isono, M., Saitoh, T. & Lieuwen, T. (2020). Modal dynamics of high-frequency transverse combustion instabilities. Proceedings of the Combustion Institute.
  • Kim, J., Jo, I. C., Park, J. H., Shin, Y., & Chung, J. T. (2017). Theoretical method of selecting number of buckets for the design and verification of a Pelton turbine. Journal of Hydraulic Research, 55(5), 695-705.
  • Jo, I. C., Park, J. H., Kim, J., Shin, Y., & Chung, J. T. (2016). Jet quality characteristics according to nozzle shape of energy-recovery Pelton turbines in pressure-retarded osmosis. Desalination and Water Treatment, 57(51), 24626-24635.

Conference Papers

  • Kim, J., Mayhew, E., Coburn, V., Schroen, E., Temme, J., Kweon, C. B. M., ... & Lee, T. (2026). Experimental Investigation of Annular Twin Cavity Trapped Vortex Combustor. In AIAA SCITECH 2026 Forum (p. 0985).
  • Hwang, S., Somappa, S., Yoon, J., Kang, K., Lee, T., Kim, J., ... & Kweon, C. B. M. (2026). Development and Characterization of a Liquid-Fuel-Based Full Annular Ultra-Compact Trapped Vortex Combustor. In AIAA SCITECH 2026 Forum (p. 0976).
  • Kim, J., Mayhew, E., Coburn, V., Temme, J. and Kweon, C.B.M. (2024). Effects of Pilot Injection on Ignition Performance for F-24/ATJ Fuel Blends. In AIAA SCITECH 2024 Forum (p. 1243).
  • Shim, H., Wood, E. J., O'Brien, C., Lee, T., Kastengren, A., Mayhew, E., Kim, J., Temme, J. and Kweon, C.B.M. (2024). Combustion Characteristics in an Ultra-Compact Trapped Vortex Combustor with Liquid Fuel Sprays. In AIAA SCITECH 2024 Forum (p. 0579).
  • Kim, J., John, T., Adhikari, S., Wu, D., Emerson, B., Acharya, V., Saitoh, T., Isono, M. & Lieuwen, T. C. (2022). Experimental Investigation of Interaction Between Two Closely Spaced Thermoacoustic Azimuthal Modes in a Multi-Nozzle Can Combustor. ASME Turbo Expo.
  • Kim, J., Gillman, W., John, T., Adhikari, S., Wu, D., Emerson, B., Acharya, V., Lieuwen, T., Isono, M. and Saitoh, T. (2021, June). Experimental Investigation of Fuel Staging Effect on Modal Dynamics of Thermoacoustic Azimuthal Instabilities in a Multi-Nozzle Can Combustor. In Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air (Vol. 84942, p. V03AT04A037). American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
  • Kim, J., Emerson, B. L., Acharya, V. S., Hale, A. A., & Lieuwen, T. C. (2021). Optimal Sensor Placement for Azimuthal Acoustic Mode in Cylindrical Ducts. In AIAA Scitech 2021 Forum (p. 0391).
  • Kim, J., Gillman, W., Wu, D., Emerson, B., Acharya, V., Mckinney, R., Saitoh, T., Isono, M. & Lieuwen, T. C. (2020). Identification of High-Frequency Transverse Acoustic Modes in Multi-Nozzle Can Combustors. ASME Turbo Expo.
  • Kim, J., Emerson, B., Acharya, V., Wu, D., Mckinney, R., Wang, X., Isono, M., & Lieuwen, T. (2019, June). High-Frequency Acoustic Mode Identification of Unstable Combustors. In Turbo Expo: Power for Land, Sea, and Air (Vol. 58622, p. V04BT04A006). American Society of Mechanical Engineers.
  • Kim, J., Jo, I. C., Park, J. H., Shin, Y., & Chung, J. T. (2015). Theoretical Analysis about Selecting Number of Pelton Buckets and Performance Experiment according to Changing Number of Buckets. Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers, 461-466.

Contact

Contact Information

Jeongwon Kim, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering
University of South Florida

Email: jeongwonkim@usf.edu

Office: ENC 2206

Lab: ENG 102

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jwkim3251/