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A Chemical Kinetic Study of Tertiary-Butanol in a Flow Reactor and a Counterflow Diffusion Flame
Combustion and Flame
  • Joseph K. Lefkowitz, Princeton University
  • Joshua S. Heyne, University of Dayton
  • Sang Hee Won, Princeton University
  • Stephen Dooley, University of Limerick
  • Hwan Ho Kim, Princeton University
  • Francis M. Haas, Princeton University
  • Saeed Jahangirian, Princeton University
  • Frederick L. Dryer, Princeton University
  • Yiguang Ju, Princeton University
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
3-1-2012
Abstract

The combustion chemistry of tertiary-butanol is studied experimentally in a high pressure flow reactor and in counterflow diffusion flames. Princeton Variable Pressure Flow Reactor results show that t-butanol does not exhibit low temperature chemistry, and thus has no negative temperature coefficient behavior under the studied conditions. The onset of gas phase chemistry at high pressure occurs at ∼780 K. Over the temperature range of 780–950 K, t-butanol primarily reacts through hydrogen abstraction − alkyl or alkoxy radical beta-scission pathways to form methyl and propen-2-ol, which likely tautomerizes in the sampling system to form acetone. A species sampling study of a t-butanol counterflow diffusion flame reveals that the high temperature consumption routes of t-butanol lead to the stable intermediates isobutene, acetone, and methane, with isobutene existing in the highest concentrations. The extinction limits of t-butanol, isobutene, acetone, and methane diffusion flames are also reported. On a transport-weighted enthalpy basis, t-butanol extinguishes more readily than any of its primary intermediates, signifying that it is kinetically less resistant to extinction than the products of its initial reactions. Numerical simulation of these t-butanol flames reveals that the isobutene and acetone chemistry sub-models significantly affect the computed extinction limits. Improvement in the current understanding of isobutene oxidation kinetics, in particular, appears necessary to developing reliable kinetic models for t-butanol combustion.

Inclusive pages
968-978
ISBN/ISSN
0010-2180
Comments

Permission documentation on file.

Publisher
Elsevier
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Citation Information
Joseph K. Lefkowitz, Joshua S. Heyne, Sang Hee Won, Stephen Dooley, et al.. "A Chemical Kinetic Study of Tertiary-Butanol in a Flow Reactor and a Counterflow Diffusion Flame" Combustion and Flame Vol. 159 Iss. 3 (2012)
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/joshua_heyne/1/