High‐Temperature Study of 2‐Methyl Furan and 2‐Methyl Tetrahydrofuran Combustion

The ignition behavior of methyl furan (2‐MF) and methyl tetrahydrofuran (2‐MTHF) is investigated using the shock tube technique. Experiments are carried out using homogeneous gaseous mixtures of fuel, oxygen, and argon with equivalence ratios, ?, of 0.5, 1.0, and 2.0 at average pressures of 3 and 12 atm over a temperature range of 1060–1300 K. In addition to ignition delay time measurements, fuel concentration time histories during ignition and pyrolysis of 2‐MTHF are obtained by means of laser absorption spectroscopy using a He–Ne laser at a fixed wavelength of 3.39 µm. With respect to ignition delay times, it is observed that under similar conditions of equivalence ratio and argon/oxygen ratio (D), 2‐MTHF has longer ignition delay times than 2‐MF at 3 atm. In addition, 2‐MTHF has longer ignition delay times than 2‐MF at higher temperatures for the case of 12 atm and under the same conditions of ? and D. The higher reactivity of 2‐MF, as indicated by shorter ignition delay times, is attributed to differences in chemical structure, whereby weaker C–H bond sites are more readily susceptible to radical attack than in 2‐MTHF. It is observed that ignition delay times of 2‐MTHF decrease with increasing equivalence ratio at 12 atm for fixed argon/oxygen ratio. Ignition delay times are compared with model predictions using recent chemical kinetic models of both fuels, showing that both models generally predict shorter ignition delay times than measured. The relatively higher absorption cross section of 2‐MTHF at 3.39 µm allows for its concentration time histories to be determined and compared to model predictions. In line with the observed discrepancy in ignition predictions, predicted 2‐MTHF concentration profiles are such that the fuel is shown to be more rapidly consumed than observed in the experiments. The study advances understanding of the combustion chemistry of these cyclic ethers that are potential alternative fuels.     

Shock tube investigation of methyl tert butyl ether and methyl tetrahydrofuran high-temperature kinetics

The autoignition and pyrolysis of two C5 ethers, methyl tert butyl ether (MTBE) and 2-methyltetrahydrofuran (2-MTHF), are investigated using the shock tube reactor. The experiments are carried out at pressures of 3.5 and 12 atm at temperatures above 1000 K with argon as a diluent gas. By means of direct laser absorption, carbon monoxide time histories and associated chemical kinetic timescales are also determined. It is observed that the competition between ignition and pyrolysis times depends on the temperature and equivalence ratio of the ignition mixture, such that there is a temperature above which pyrolysis predominates oxidative kinetics. This crossover temperature shifts toward higher temperatures for reactive systems with a fixed fuel concentration but higher oxygen content. The resulting experimental observations are also compared with predictions of existing chemical kinetic models from the literature. The results point to differences in chemical reactivity, such that in pyrolysis conditions, the reactivity of the cyclic ether, 2-MTHF, is generally higher than that of the aliphatic ether, MTBE. While agreement between experimental observations and model predictions is observed under certain conditions, significant variance between observations and predictions is observed under other conditions. With respect to prediction of the pyrolysis time used to capture the global kinetics of pyrolysis, it is observed that the relation of this time to the time needed to attain 90% of the equilibrium CO concentration varies greatly with the result that the models used in this work generally predict a faster initial formation of CO but a much slower approach to the equilibrium concentration. This is thought to arise from the slow transformation of intermediate CH₂O and CH₂CO to CO. The chemical kinetic models considered in this work are therefore not capable of predicting the CO time histories during pyrolysis.     

Methyl formate oxidation: Speciation data,laminar burning velocities,ignition delay times,and a validated chemical kinetic model

The oxidation of methyl formate (CH₃OCHO) has been studied in three experimental environments over a range of applied combustion relevant conditions:

• 1. A variable‐pressure flow reactor has been used to quantify reactant, major intermediate and product species as a function of residence time at 3 atm and 0.5% fuel concentration for oxygen/fuel stoichiometries of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 at 900 K, and for pyrolysis at 975 K.
• 2. Shock tube ignition delays have been determined for CH₃OCHO/O₂/Ar mixtures at pressures of ≈ 2.7, 5.4, and 9.2 atm and temperatures of 1275–1935 K for mixture compositions of 0.5% fuel (at equivalence ratios of 1.0, 2.0, and 0.5) and 2.5% fuel (at an equivalence ratio of 1.0).
• 3. Laminar burning velocities of outwardly propagating spherical CH₃OCHO/air flames have been determined for stoichiometries ranging from 0.8–1.6, at atmospheric pressure using a pressure‐release‐type high‐pressure chamber.

A detailed chemical kinetic model has been constructed, validated against, and used to interpret these experimental data. The kinetic model shows that methyl formate oxidation proceeds through concerted elimination reactions, principally forming methanol and carbon monoxide as well as through bimolecular hydrogen abstraction reactions. The relative importance of elimination versus abstraction was found to depend on the particular environment. In general, methyl formate is consumed exclusively through molecular decomposition in shock tube environments, while at flow reactor and freely propagating premixed flame conditions, there is significant competition between hydrogen abstraction and concerted elimination channels. It is suspected that in diffusion flame configurations the elimination channels contribute more significantly than in premixed environments. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 42: 527–549, 2010     

Autoignition of heptanes; experiments and modeling

There is much interest in determining the influence of molecular structure on the rate of combustion of hydrocarbons; the C₇H₁₆ isomers of heptane have been selected here as they exemplify all the different structural elements present in aliphatic, noncyclic hydrocarbons. With the exception of n‐heptane itself, no autoignition studies have been carried out to date on the other isomers of heptane at high temperatures. Therefore, ignition delay times were measured for the oxidation of four isomers—n‐heptane, 2,2‐dimethylpentane, 2,3‐dimethylpentane, and 2,2,3‐trimethylbutane—under stoichiometric conditions at a reflected shock pressure of 2 atm, within the temperature range of 1150–1650 K. Measurements under identical conditions reveal that they all have essentially the same ignition delay time; this confirms earlier theoretical predictions based purely on detailed chemical kinetic modeling. The variation of ignition delay times for n‐heptane with changing oxygen concentrations and reflected shock pressure was determined and shown to follow expected trends. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 37: 728–736, 2005     

IR laser absorption diagnostic for C2H4 in shock tube kinetics studies

An IR laser absorption diagnostic has been further developed for accurate and sensitive time‐resolved measurements of ethylene in shock tube kinetic experiments. The diagnostic utilizes the P14 line of a tunable CO₂ gas laser at 10.532 μm (the (0 0 1) → (1 0 0) vibrational band) and achieves improved signal‐to‐noise ratio by using IR photovoltaic detectors and accurate identification of the P14 line via an MIR wavemeter. Ethylene absorption cross sections were measured over 643–1959 K and 0.3–18.6 atm behind both incident and reflected shock waves, showing evident exponential decay with temperature. Very weak pressure dependence was observed over the pressure range of 1.2–18.6 atm. By measuring ethylene decomposition time histories at high‐temperature conditions (1519–1895 K, 2.0–2.8 atm) behind reflected shocks, the rate coefficient of the dominant elementary reaction C₂H₄ + M → C₂H₂ + H₂ + M was determined to be k₁ = (2.6 ± 0.5) × 10¹⁶exp(?34,130/T, K) cm³ mol^?1 s^?1 with low data scatter. Ethylene concentration time histories were also measured during the oxidation of 0.5% C₂H₄/O₂/Ar mixtures varying in equivalence ratio from 0.25 to 2. Initial reflected shock conditions ranged from 1267 to 1440 K and 2.95 to 3.45 atm. The measured time histories were compared to the modeled predictions of four ethylene oxidation mechanisms, showing excellent agreement with the Ranzi et al. mechanism (updated in 2011). This diagnostic scheme provides a promising tool for the study and validation of detailed hydrocarbon pyrolysis and oxidation mechanisms of fuel surrogates and realistic fuels. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 44: 423–432, 2012     

Shock Tube Study of Dimethylamine Oxidation

Dimethylamine (DMA) ignition delay times and OH time histories during the oxidation process were investigated behind reflected shock waves. The ignition delay time measurements cover the temperature range of 1181–1498 K, with pressures near 0.9, 1.5, and 2.8 atm, and equivalence ratios of 0.5, 1, and 2, in 4% oxygen/argon. The ignition delay time data feature low scatter and can be correlated to a single expression with ² ～ 0.99: τ_ign = 7.30 × 10^{?4 ?0.68} Φ^0.45 exp(18,265/), where τ_ign is in μs, in atm, and in K. OH time histories were measured using laser absorption of the R₁(5) line of the A‐X(0,0) transition near 306.7 nm, in stoichiometric mixtures of 500 ppm DMA/O₂/argon. The mechanism developed by Li et al. was used initially to simulate the measured DMA ignition delay times and the OH time histories. The Li et al. mechanism was then updated by adding the DMA unimolecular decomposition channel: DMA = CH₃NH + CH₃, with the reaction rate constant estimated by analogy to dimethyl ether decomposition, previously investigated by Cook et al. The reactions of DMA + OH were also updated based on recent work in our laboratory. The simulation results using the modified Li et al. mechanism are in good agreement with both the ignition delay times and OH time‐history data.     

Detailed combustion kinetics of cyclopentadiene studied in a shock‐tube

Mixtures of cyclopentadiene and oxygen diluted in argon were used to obtain ignition delay data in a single pulse shock‐tube. The temperatures ranged from 1278–2110 K and the experimental pressures were between 2.43 and 12.45 atm. The fuel concentrations ranged from 0.5 to 2.5% and the oxygen concentrations were between 3.3 and 16.6%. A Semenov ignition delay expression was determined: τ = 10^?12.5 exp(+34500/RT) [C₅H₆]^0.06 [O₂]^?0.95 [Ar]^0.29 sec The concentrations are in mol/cc and the activation energy is in cal/mol. Gas‐chromatographic analyses were run on samples quenched before the ignition. The kinetics of combustion of cyclopentadiene was modeled with a full scheme containing 439 elementary reactions and a reduced scheme containing 125 reactions. Both ignition delay times and product distribution served as modeling targets. The mechanism of combustion of cyclopentadiene is discussed in connection to the combustion of aromatic fuels. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 33: 491–508, 2001     

Ethylene pyrolysis and oxidation: A kinetic modeling study

Ethylene oxidation and pyrolysis was modeled using a comprehensive kinetic reaction mechanism. This mechanism is an updated version of one developed earlier. It includes the most recent findings concerning the kinetics of the reactions involved in the oxidation of ethylene. The proposed mechanism was tested against ethylene oxidation experimental data (molecular species concentration profiles) obtained in jet stirred reactors (1–10 atm, 880–1253 K), ignition delay times measured in shock tubes (0.2–12 atm, 1058–2200 K) and ethylene pyrolysis data in shock tube (2–6 atm, 1700–2200 K). The general prediction of concentration profiles of minor species formed during ethylene oxidation is improved in the present model by using more accurate kinetic data for several reactions (principally: HO₂ + HO₂ → H₂O₂ + O₂, C₂H₄ + OH → C₂H₃ + H₂O, C₂H₂ + OH → Products, C₂H₃ → C₂H₂ + H).     

Kinetic modeling of propane oxidation and pyrolysis

Propane oxidation in jet-stirred reactor was modeled using a comprehensive kinetic reaction mechanism including the most recent findings concerning the kinetics of the reactions involved in the oxidation of C₁? C₄ hydrocarbons. The present detailed mechanism is able to reproduce experimental species concentration profiles obtained in our high-pressure jet-stirred reactor (900 ? T/K ? 1200; 1 ? P/atm ? 10; 0.15 ? ? ? 4) and in a turbulent flow reactor at 1 atm; ignition delay times measured in shock tube (1200 ? T/K ? 1700; 2 ? P/atm ? 15; 0.125 ? ? ? 2); H-atoms concentrations measured in shock tube during the pyrolysis of propane and burning velocities of freely propagating premixed propane-air laminar flames. The computed results are discussed in terms of pressure and equivalence ratio (?) effects on propane oxidation. The same detailed kinetic reaction mechanism can also be used to model the oxidation of methane, ethylene, ethane, and propene in similar conditions. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Experimental and kinetic study of shock initiated ignition in homogeneous methane–hydrogen–air mixtures at engine‐relevant conditions

The ignition delay time of two stoichiometric methane/hydrogen/air mixtures has been measured in a shock tube facility at pressures from 16 to 40 atm and temperatures from 1000 to 1300 K. Overall, the observed reduction in ignition delay with some methane replaced by hydrogen is relatively small given the large concentration of hydrogen involved in the current study. With a high hydrogen mole fraction (35% of the total fuel), a reduction of the ignition‐promoting effect was observed with reduced temperature. A detailed chemical kinetic mechanism was used to simulate ignitions of test mixtures behind reflected shocks. An analysis of the mechanism indicates that at higher temperatures, the rapid decomposition of hydrogen molecules leads to a quick formation of H radical pools, which promote the chain branching through H + O₂ ? O + OH. At lower temperatures, the branching efficiency of hydrogen is low; a weak effect of hydrogen on methane ignition could be result from the reaction between H₂ and methylperoxy CH₃O₂, which contributes extra H radicals to the reaction system. The effects of hydrogen also decrease with increasing pressure; this is related to the negative pressure dependence of hydrogen at the second ignition limit. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 221–233, 2006     

Kinetics of ethane oxidation

Ethane oxidation in jet-stirred reactor has recently been investigated at high temperature (800–1200 K) in the pressure range 1–10 atm and molecular species (H₂, CO, CO₂, CH₄, C₂H₂, C₂H₄, C₂H₆) concentration profiles were obtained by probe sampling and GC analysis. Ethane oxidation was modeled using a comprehensive kinetic reaction mechanism including the most recent findings concerning the kinetics of the reactions involved in the oxidation of C₁? C₄ hydrocarbons. The proposed mechanism is able to reproduce experimental data obtained in our high-pressure jet stirred reactor and ignition delay times measured in shock tube in the pressure range 1–13 atm, for temperatures extending from 800 to 2000 K and equivalence ratios of 0.1 to 2. It is also able to reproduce atoms concentrations (H,O) measured in shock tube at ≈2 atm. The same detailed kinetic mechanism can also be used to model the oxidation of methane, ethylene, propyne, and allene in similar conditions.     

The pyrolysis of propane

The pyrolysis of propane plays an important role in determining the combustion properties of natural gas mixtures and offers insight into the cracking patterns of larger fuels. This work investigates propane pyrolysis behind reflected shock waves with a multiwavelength laser-absorption speciation technique. Nine laser wavelengths, sensitive to key pyrolysis species, were used to measure absorbance time histories during the decomposition of 2% propane in argon between 1022 and 1467 K, 3.7-4.3 atm. Absorbance models were developed at each diagnostic wavelength to interrogate common initial conditions, and time histories of all major species are reported at 1250, 1290, 1330, 1370, and 1410 K. Nearly complete carbon recovery observed at lower temperatures enabled the inference of hydrogen formation from atomic conservation, while decaying carbon recovery at high temperatures suggests the formation of allene and 1-butene. The results show systematically faster pyrolysis than predicted by kinetic modeling and motivate further study into the kinetics of propane pyrolysis.     

A shock tube study of cyclopentane and cyclohexane ignition at elevated pressures

Ignition delay times for cyclopentane/air and cyclohexane/air mixtures were measured in a shock tube at temperatures of 847–1379 K, pressures of 11–61 atm, and equivalence ratios of ? = 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25. Ignition times were determined using electronically excited OH emission monitored through the shock tube endwall and piezoelectric pressure measurements made in the shock tube sidewall. The dependence of ignition time on pressure, temperature, and equivalence ratio is quantified and correlations for ignition time formulated. Measured ignition times are compared to kinetic modeling predictions from four recently published mechanisms. The data presented provide a database for the validation of cycloalkane kinetic mechanisms at the elevated pressures found in practical combustion engines. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 40: 624–634, 2008     

Decane oxidation in a shock tube

The ignition delay of n‐decane and oxygen diluted in argon was investigated for a series of mixtures ranging from 0.49 to 1.5% decane and 4.16 to 23.25% O₂ diluted in argon. The temperature range was 1239–1616 K and the pressure range was 1.82–10.0 atm. All experiments were performed in a heated shock‐tube. An overall ignition delay equation was deduced for 144 experiments: τ = 10⁻¹² exp(+34240/RT)[C₁₀H₂₂]^0.60[O₂]^−1.305[Ar]^0.08 s. Product distribution from preignition periods were measured. Detailed simulation schemes available in the literature were checked and a corrected model is proposed that fits well our experiments. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 38: 703–713, 2006     

Automated Reaction Mechanism Generation Including Nitrogen as a Heteroatom

The open source rate‐based Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG) software and its thermochemical and kinetics databases were extended to include nitrogen as a heteroatom. Specific changes to RMG and the mining of thermochemistry and reaction kinetics data are discussed. This new version of RMG has been tested by generating a detailed pyrolysis and oxidation model for ethylamine (EA, CH₃CH₂NH₂) at ∼1400 K and ∼2 bar, and comparing it to recent shock tube studies. Validation of the reaction network with recent experimental data showed that the generated model successfully reproduced the observed species as well as ignition delay measurements. During pyrolysis, EA initially decomposes via a C C bond scission, and the CH₂NH₂ product subsequently produces the first H radicals in this system via β‐scission. As the concentration of H increases, the major EA consuming reaction becomes H abstraction at the α‐site by H radicals, leading to a chain reaction since its product generates more H radicals. During oxidation, the dominant N₂‐producing route is mediated by NO and N₂O. The observables were found to be relatively sensitive to the C C and C N EA bond scission reactions as well as to the thermodynamic values of EA; thermodynamic data for EA were computed at the CBS‐QB3 level and reported herein. This work demonstrates the ability of RMG to construct adequate kinetic models for nitrogenous species and discusses the pyrolysis and oxidation mechanisms of EA.     

Shock‐Tube Experiments and Kinetic Modeling of CH3NHCH3 Ignition at Elevated Pressures

Ignition delay times of CH₃NHCH₃/O₂/Ar mixtures are measured with a shock tube in the temperature range of 1040–1604 K. Different pressures (4, 8, and 18 atm) and equivalence ratios (0.5, 1, and 2) are investigated. A recently developed CH₃NHCH₃ kinetic model is examined, and then modified by adding the hydrogen abstractions from CH₃NHCH₃ by HO₂ and NO₂. The rate constants of the hydrogen abstraction by HO₂ are estimated by analogy to the CH₃OH + HO₂ system, and those of the hydrogen abstraction by NO₂ by analogy to the CH₃NH₂ + HO₂ system. The modified model is well validated against the present measurements. Based on this model, sensitivity analysis and reaction pathway analysis are performed to provide insight into the chemical kinetics of CH₃NHCH₃ ignition. CH₃NHCH₃ is mainly consumed by hydrogen abstractions at low temperatures, and its unimolecular decomposition becomes important at higher temperatures.     

Shock Tube Measurements of Ignition Delay Times for the Butanol Isomers Using the Constrained‐Reaction‐Volume Strategy

Ignition delay times of sec‐, iso‐, and tert‐butanol were measured behind reflected shock waves using both conventional operation and a new constrained‐reaction‐volume (CRV) strategy. This CRV filling method constrains the volume of reactive gases, thereby producing near‐constant‐pressure test conditions for reflected shock measurements. The initial reflected shock conditions cover temperatures ranging from 828 to 1095 K, pressures near 20 atm and an equivalence ratio of 1.0 in air mixtures. Additional data were also collected at 30 atm and at φ = 0.5 for iso‐butanol/O₂/N₂ mixtures. At 20 atm and φ = 1.0, the ignition delay time increases for the isomers in the following order: n‐butanol, iso‐butanol and sec‐butanol, and tert‐butanol. Modeling of all collected data using the Vasu and Sarathy (Energy Fuel 2013, 27, 7072–7080) mechanism showed overall good agreement with the experimental data.     

Shock tube measurements of branched alkane ignition times and OH concentration time histories

Ignition times and hydroxyl (OH) radical concentration time histories were measured behind reflected shock waves during the oxidation of three branched alkanes: iso‐butane (2‐methylpropane), iso‐pentane (2‐methylbutane), and iso‐octane (2,2,4‐trimethylpentane). Initial reflected shock conditions ranged from 1177 to 2009 K and 1.10 to 12.58 atm with dilute fuel/O₂/Ar mixtures varying in fuel concentration from 100 ppm to 1.25% and in equivalence ratio from 0.25 to 2. Ignition times were measured using endwall CH emission and OH concentrations were measured using narrow‐linewidth ring‐dye laser absorption of the R₁(5) line of the OH A‐X (0,0) band at 306.7 nm. The ignition times and OH concentration time histories were compared to modeled predictions of seven branched alkane oxidation mechanisms currently available in the literature and the implications of these comparisons are discussed. These data provide a unique database for the validation of detailed hydrocarbon oxidation mechanisms of propulsion related fuels. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 36: 67–78 2004     

Thermal ignition of acetonitrile. Experimental results and kinetic modeling

Ignition delay times of acetonitrile (CH₃CN) in mixtures containing acetonitrile and oxygen diluted in argon were studied behind reflected shock waves. The temperature range covered was 1420–1750 K at overall concentrations behind the reflected shock wave ranging from 2 to 4×10⁻⁵ mol/cm³. Over this temperature and concentration range the ignition delay times varied by approximately one order of magnitude, ranging from ca. 100 μs to slightly above 1 ms. From a total of some 70 tests the following correlation for the ignition delay times was derived: t_ign=9.77×10⁻¹² exp(41.7×10³/RT)×{[CH₃CN]^0.12[O₂]^−0.76[Ar]^0.34} s, where concentrations are expressed in units of mol/cm³ and R is expressed in units of cal/(K mol). The ignition delay times were modeled by a reaction scheme containing 36 species and 111 elementary reactions. Good agreement between measured and calculated ignition delay times was obtained. A least-squares analysis of 60 computed ignition delay times from six different groups of initial conditions gave the following temperature and concentration dependence: E=46.2×10³ cal/mol, β=0.43, β=−1.18, and β_Ar=0.18. The ignition process is initiated by H-atom ejection from acetonitrile. The addition of oxygen atoms to the system from the dissociation of molecular oxygen and from the reaction CH₃CN+O₂ → HO₂·+CH₂CN·is negligible. In view of the relatively high concentration of methyl radicals obtained in the reaction CH₃CN+H → CH₃+HCN, the branching step CH₃+O₂ → CH₃O+O plays a more important role than the parallel step H+O₂→ OH+O. A discussion of the mechanism in view of the sensitivity analysis is presented. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 29: 839–849, 1997     

Shock Tube Measurement of Ethylene Ignition Delay Time and Molecular Collision Theory Analysis

In this study, 75% and 96% argon diluent conditions were selected to determine the ignition delay time of stoichiometric mixture of C₂H₄/O₂/Ar within a range of pressures (1.3-3.0 atm) and temperatures (1092-1743 K). Results showed a logarithmic linear relationship of the ignition delay time with the reciprocal of temperatures. Under both two diluent conditions, ignition delay time decreased with increased temperature. By multiple linear regression analysis, the ignition delay correlation was deduced. According to this correlation, the calculated ignition delay time in 96% diluent was found to be nearly five times that in 75% diluent. To explain this discrepancy, the hard-sphere collision theory was adopted, and the collision numbers of ethylene to oxygen were calculated. The total collision numbers of ethylene to oxygen were 5.99×10³⁰ s^-1cm^-3 in 75% diluent and 1.53×10²⁹ s^-1cm^-3 in 96% diluent (about 40 times that in 75% diluent). According to the discrepancy between ignition delay time and collision numbers, viz. 5 times corresponds to 40 times, the steric factor can be estimated.