Effect of Hydrogen Donor Addition on Thermal Decomposition of Bio-jet Fuel

The effect of decalin (hydrogen donor) on the characteristics of bio-jet fuel was analyzed. With the addition of <1 wt % decalin to bio-jet fuel, carbon deposition increased with the added decalin. With 5 wt % decalin, ∼14% less carbon deposit was formed versus without decalin, indicating that <1 wt % decalin ceases to act as a hydrogen donor at the beginning of the reaction and is converted to naphthalene, a precursor of carbon deposits. When more decalin was added, the availability for hydrogen donation increased, partially suppressing carbon deposition. In particular, the thermal stability of bio-jet fuel was improved by suppressing carbon deposition via incorporating 5 wt % decalin in this study. The ignition delay time of bio-jet fuel increased by ∼4.5% with 5 wt % decalin versus without decalin. This study provides fundamental data on the ignition characteristics of decalin-treated bio-jet fuel for use in actual aircraft, which is important for engine design.