Yangye Zhu

Shock Tube/Laser Absorption Measurements of Jet Fuel Pyrolysis and Oxidation

Measurements of stable decomposition products of jet fuel pyrolysis and ignition delay times during jet fuel oxidation were performed behind reflected shock waves. Reflected shock conditions cover temperatures from 1000 to 1400K and pressures from 1 to 60 atm for two jet fuels. Species time-history measurements of fuel, ethylene, and methane were made in pyrolysis experiments using laser absorption; ignition delay times were measured by OH* emission and pressure. These data provide needed input for the development and validation of a new compact hybrid model kinetic model under development by H. Wang at Stanford for jet fuel.

Shock Tube Measurements of Jet and Rocket Fuels

A database of ignition delay times and pyrolysis product species time-histories was acquired for a variety of jet fuels and rocket propellants. These ignition delay times and laser absorption data are characterized by very accurate and uniform test conditions, fuel loading and species concentrations. Ignition delay times were measured over temperatures from 700 to 1700 K. Species concentrations during pyrolysis were measured over temperatures from 1100 to 1600 K. These species time-history data and ignition delay times provide kinetic targets for jet and rocket fuel models and can be used to constrain reduced pyrolysis sub-mechanisms found in hybrid models.

Species Time-History Measurements During Jet Fuel Pyrolysis

Intrinsic to the development of CFD models for jet engines are embedded chemical kinetics reaction mechanisms for the pyrolysis and oxidation of jet fuels. The development and refinement of these reaction mechanisms require an experimental kinetic target database for mechanism constraint and validation. Here, shock tube/laser absorption species time-histories of C2H4 and CH4 during the pyrolysis of three jet fuels for this database are described. Of note is that similar high-temperature pyrolysis yields were found for the three different jet fuels.