Fuels Combustion Research: Supercritical Fuel Pyrolysis
Abstract
Supercritical pyrolysis experiments were conducted with toluene, methyl cyclohexane, and n-heptane at temperatures up to 585 C, pressures up to 100 atm, and residence times up to 550 sec Analysis, by HPLC/UV, of the toluene reaction products led to the unequivocal identification of 27 individual PAH, up to 10 rings in size. The experiments showed that PAH yields increased exponentially with pressure. For each of the product PAH, values of the preexponential factor. A arid the activation volume V* were determined for the pressure-dependent global first-order kinetic rate constant. PAH yields were also extremely sensitive to temperature. At 100 atm and 480 C, PAH of only up to 2 rings were observed; at 535 C, PAH up to 10 rings were formed; at 585 C, solid deposits formed, plugging the reactor. Similar pressure and temperature sensitivities were exhibited by the PAH produced by methyl cyclohexane. The nature of the PAH product distributions suggested that condensation reactions, involving the addition of aromatic structures and hydrogen loss, were a dominant mechanism for PAH formation in the supercritical environment.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Nov 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA415123
Entities
People
- Elmer B. Ledesma
- Joseph A. Sivo
- Mary J. Wornat
- Nathan D. Marsh
- Philip G. Felton
Organizations
- Princeton University