Ignition Delay Time Measurements of Normal Alkanes and Simple Oxygenates

Ignition delay time data for higher h-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.