Ignition Delay Time Measurements of Normal Alkanes and Simple Oxygenates

Ignition delay time data for higher n-alkanes are required for the development and refinement of jet fuel surrogate mechanisms; similar data for oxygen-carrying species are also required for the development of oxygenate fuel mechanisms. To fill this need, ignition delay times were measured using pressure and OH * emission diagnostics behind reflected shock waves for a series of higher n-alkanes and for several simple oxygenates. Reflected shock conditions covered temperatures of 1150―1550 K and pressures of 1―4 atm (0.1―0.4 MPa). Fuel mixtures tested include the four n-alkanes: n-pentane, n-hexane, n-octane, and n-nonane; and the four oxygenates: acetone, n-butanal, methyl butanoate, and 3-pentanone. All fuels were tested in oxygen/argon mixtures with equivalence ratios of 0.5 to 2.0. The ignition data were compared with current models and a new n-butanal reaction mechanism, based on previous studies, was used to model the n-butanal and methyl butanoate data.