A chemical reaction model for alternative aviation fuel blends

A team from the University of Leeds and University of Sheffield in the UK is proposing a theoretical model for the oxidation of blends of kerosene, biofuels, and synthetic (FT) fuels, work, with the biofuel portion being represented by methyl tridecanoate (MTD), a methyl ester with chemical formula C₁₄H₂₈O₂ and the
synthetic fraction being represented by heptane.

The model is based on previous work performed by the authors on the development of a reaction mechanism including kerosene and methyl butanoate (MB), the Aviation Fuel Reaction Mechanism version 2.0 (AFRM v2.0).

They updated AFRM v2.0 through a multi-parameter optimization, including the addition of the reactions for the breakdown of the C-14 methyl ester and a set of reactions for the oxidation of heptane.

The final scheme consists of the surrogate kerosene components n-decane and toluene, a surrogate fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) (methyl tridecanoate), and a surrogate of the synthetic paraffinic portion, heptane. The scheme also includes NO_x, SO_x, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) chemistry.

Resources

• E. Catalanotti, K. J. Hughes, M. Pourkashanian, C. W. Wilson (2011) Development of a Chemical Reaction Mechanism for Alternative Aviation Fuels. Energy & Fuels doi: 10.1021/ef101703j