The combustion behavior of various hydrocarbons with complex molecular structure
Conference Paper
Overview
Overview
abstract
The soot formation mechanism, which can lead to several problems such as engine failures, air pollution, and health hazards during combustion was investigated by analyzing the elemental composition and combustion kinetics of 11 different fuel sources. We intentionally selected the samples with complex chemical structures which have both impurities (i.e., N, O, S, and metals) and long-chain aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons in their molecular structures. The combustion kinetics were investigated with a Thermogravimetric Analyzer (TGA) coupled with Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC). The enthalpy of the samples were calculated from DSC results at varying temperature ranges by applying both low and high heating rates. The total energy generated with low and high temperature oxidation reactions was examined according to the amount of fuel consumed throughout the combustion process. Our results propose that the heaviest fraction of the fuel source, which was generated through cracking and oxidation and which leads the formation of soot, is the main cause of heat generation during combustion. While the impurities in fuel sources result in deposition of ash, the amount and type of the impurities attached to hydrocarbon molecules and the chemical structure of the hydrocarbons determine the amount of ash deposition.
