Heat transfer and thermal cracking behavior of hydrocarbon fuel

Heat transfer and thermal cracking behaviors of kerosene are investigated in a thermal experiment and simulation. A flat-plane reactor of aviation kerosene with a rectangular channel is built. The heat sink and thermal cracking characteristics at subcritical and supercritical pressures are measured and compared. A one-step thermal cracking global reaction is established from the proportional product distribution and a gaseous-product experiment. The flow, heat transfer and cracking reaction of kerosene in a flat-plane reactor are coupled to simulate the two-phase flow and thermal cracking. The wall temperature predicted with a one-step thermal cracking model is in good agreement with the experimental data. The thermal cracking plays an important role in the endothermic process as the fuel temperature exceeds approximately 500 degrees C. The rate of the variation in the overall heat sink increases with fuel temperature owing to the endothermic process of thermal cracking. An increase in pressure promotes the thermal cracking reaction. (C) 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.