Experimental study of combustion of n-decane and JP-10 in non-premixed flows

Experiments are conducted on n-decane and JP-10 flames, stabilized between two counterflowing streams-fuel stream and oxidizer stream. The fuel stream is a mixture of prevaporized fuel and nitrogen, and the oxidizer stream is air. Critical conditions of extinction are measured for n-decane and JP-10. Concentration profiles of H-2; O-2; CO2; H2O; CO; CH4, and hydrocarbons from C-2 to C-6 are measured. These measurements are made by removing gas samples from the flame using a quartz microprobe and analyzing the samples using a gas chromatograph. Temperature profiles are measured using a thermocouple. Numerical calculations are performed using detailed kinetic models to predict the flame structure and critical conditions of extinction and autoignition. The predicted values of the critical conditions of extinction and autoignition for n-decane agree well with experimental data for extinction and with previously measured autoignition data. For JP-10, for a given mass fraction of fuel in the fuel stream, the predicted strain rates at extinction are higher than the measurements. The predicted autoignition temperatures, however, agree well with previously measured experimental data. The predicted profiles and maximum mass fractions of the major species are found to agree with the measurements. There are, however, differences between the predicted and measured mass fractions of those species that have more than three carbon atoms. In general, the concentrations of saturated hydrocarbons in the n-decane flame are higher than those in the JP-10 flame. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of The Combustion Institute.