Pyrolysis of n-pentane, n-hexane and n-heptane in a single pulse shock tube

The pyrolysis of n-pentane, n-hexane and n-heptane have been studied behind reflected shock waves at pressures of 1.0–2.5 atm and at temperatures of 1000–1500 K. A single-pulse shock tube (SPST) was used to measure reactant, intermediate, and product species profiles using GC samplings at different reaction times varying from 1.5 to 2.2 ms. Simulations have been performed using two chemical kinetic models for the three fuels, namely NUI Galway and JetSurf (Version2.0). Differences in simulated results between the models are described. Sensitivity and reaction path analyses were performed to determine the important reactions controlling fuel pyrolysis and their influence on the predicted concentrations of reactant and product species profiles compared to those measured in the experiments.