Date/Time
May 17, 2026 - May 19, 2026
7:30 AM - 5:00 PM Central
Event Registration
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Event Description
The 2026 Spring Technical Meeting of the Central States Section of The Combustion Institute will be held in person, 17 through 19 May 2026 in West Lafayette, Indiana. The meeting is hosted by Purdue University. This is the continuation of a series of technical meetings that have been held, in person or virtually, since 1966. 

The event will consist of an opening reception, plenary seminars, technical talks, a combustion art competition, an undergraduate research competition, and a banquet event. There will also be tours to Purdue Zucrow Labs in the afternoon on May 19th, 2026.

Extended abstracts should be up to five pages in length and highlight the results of the study to be presented at the meeting, including a brief review of relevant background and methods, key figures, and results; preliminary results are welcome and encouraged. Acceptance of the abstracts for presentation will be based on soundness and completeness of the study, as presented in the extended abstract, with the expectation that the abstract is a representation of the material to be presented at the conference. To determine acceptance for presentation, only one review of the submitted abstracts by the conference organizers will be performed; there will be no chance for revision and resubmission after submission. Submissions to this meeting are comprised of the extended abstract and presentation only (full-length papers are not requested).

If you are interested in submitting an extended abstract for presentation at this meeting, please follow this link.

The Central States Section of The Combustion Institute gratefully acknowledged sponsorship from Rolls Royce, En’Urga Inc., Forberg Smith, and Superior Measurement Solutions, Inc. We continue accepting sponsorship. To sponsor this event, please contact Steve Son (sson@purdue.edu).

The meeting will be held at Purdue University campus with many nearby hotels available. Please scroll to the bottom of the page to see local accommodations. 
Location
Setting: In-Person
Purdue University
West Lafayette, In 47907
UNITED STATES

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Details
Submission Dates:
  • 19 March 2026 – Extended Abstract submission deadline (23:59 EDT)
  • 24 March 2026 – Extended Abstract (accept/reject) notification
Colloquia Topics:
  • Alternative Fuels and Emissions
  • Combustion Theory and Modeling
  • Detonations
  • Diagnostics
  • Droplet and Sprays
  • Energetic Materials Combustion
  • Fire
  • Industrial and Applied Combustion
  • Internal Combustion Engines
  • Laminar Flames
  • Novel Combustion Techniques
  • Particulates and Multiphase Flows
  • Reaction Kinetics
  • Supersonic Combustion
  • Turbulent Combustion
Submit your extended abstract here.

Combustion Art Competition:
23:59 EST 3 May 2026 – Submission deadline Email: art@cssci.org
To enter the 2026 CSSCI Art Competition, please submit a high-resolution image or video to art@cssci.org by May 3, 2026. Please include title, artists and affiliations, and a brief explanation of your submission. Voting is by title, so a succinct, catchy title is suggested. To participate, at least one of the artists is required to be a registered attendee at the meeting.
 
Undergraduate Student Research Competition:
  • 16 March 2026 – Abstract Submissions Deadline (23:59 EDT)
The Outreach committee of the United States Central States Section of The Combustion Institute invites you to submit your undergraduate research in combustion to the 2026 U.S. Central States Combustion Meeting Undergraduate Student Research Competition. The competition is open to sophomore, junior, and senior undergraduate student researchers. Please note, you must be a full-time or a part-time undergraduate student at the time of submitting your entry. And make sure you submit by the 16 March 2026 deadline.
Email: outreach@cssci.org

Student Travel Support Information
We anticipate providing student travel support for the 2026 CSSCI Spring Technical Meeting at up to $250 per student. The amount awarded per student will depend on the number of eligible applicants. In order to be eligible a student a) must be enrolled at a school within the Central States Section, b) must be the podium presenter of a paper at the meeting, and c) must travel from >50 miles to the conference site, based on the home institution address.

Reimbursements will be made after the meeting. More details will be sent to the students upon acceptance of extended abstracts. If you have any questions, please contact treasurer@cssci.org.

Hosting Committee: Monique McClain, Dan Guildenbecher, Steve Son, and Venkat Athmanathan

Program Committee
Chair: Babak Shotorban
Co-Chair: Dan Guildenbecher
Combustion Art Competition: Ya-Ting Liao
Undergraduate Student Research Competition: Omid Samimi-Abianeh
 
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