AUTOIGNITION PROPERTIES OF FOSSIL- AND GTL-KEROSENE AND ITS MODEL FUEL

The autoignition properties of GTL-kerosene sprays have been examined in a hot blow-down wind-tunnel. The results are compared to those of fossil kerosene and the model fuel for GTL-kerosene. A total of more than 1100 experiments were carried out in the pressure range between 4.5 and 6 bar and at temperatures between 740 and 840 K. The sprays were injected in a jet-in-crossflow configuration into hot air of about 30 m/s velocity. It can be shown that the induction times of GTL-kerosene are essentially longer (between 10 and 30%) than those from fossil Jet A1 and its pressure and temperature dependency compares favorably to those of n-decane sprays. This indicates that GTL-kerosene has very good properties if a lean prevaporized premixed combustion with low NOx-emissions is desired. N-decane as the well matching model fuel for GTL-kerosene was found through single droplet ignition experiments performed in microgravity in the Bremen drop tower. These experiments were comparing various mono- and bi-component fuel’s ignition properties to those of GTL-kerosene droplets.Copyright © 2013 by ASME