Under the leadership of Dr. Kenneth K. Kuo, Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the High Pressure Combustion Laboratory (HPCL), research in the HPCL has concentrated in the area of combustion of solid and liquid propellants for rocket and gun propulsion systems as well as solid fuels for ramjets and hybrid propulsion systems. Recently, the scope of research expanded further to cover combustion of airbag propellants and other energetic materials for commercial applications. On-going research topics include fundamental studies in propellant combustion and ignition, rocket motor performance analysis, safety and hazard problems, jet breakup mechanisms in liquid propellant rockets, ballistic behavior of gun propellants, flame spreading processes over aluminum sheets and energetic foils, ignition and combustion of single metal particles, combustion of solid fuels under hybrid motor conditions.