Comprehensive chemical kinetic modeling of the oxidation of C8 and larger n-alkanes and 2-methylalkanes

Conventional petroleum jet and diesel fuels, as well as alternative Fischer-Tropsch (FT) fuels and hydrotreated renewable jet (HRJ) fuels, contain high molecular weight lightly branched alkanes (i.e., methylalkanes) and straight chain alkanes (n-alkanes). Improving the combustion of these fuels in practical applications requires a fundamental understanding of large hydrocarbon combustion chemistry. This research project presents a detailed and reduced chemical kinetic mechanism for singly methylated iso-alkanes (i.e., 2-methylalkanes) ranging from C{sub 8} to C{sub 20}. The mechanism also includes an updated version of our previously published C{sub 8} to C{sub 16} n-alkanes model. The complete detailed mechanism contains approximately 7,200 species 31,400 reactions. The proposed model is validated against new experimental data from a variety of fundamental combustion devices including premixed and nonpremixed flames, perfectly stirred reactors and shock tubes. This new model is used to show how the presence of a methyl branch affects important combustion properties such as laminar flame propagation, ignition, and species formation