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The measurement system for the detection of soot production as high-temperature pyrolysis of hydrocarbon fuels behind the reflected shock wave was established. By using the laser extinction method, the soot yields of toluene/argon mixtures were measured at high temperatures. The mole fractions of toluene were 0.25% and 0.5% while the pressures were approximate 2 and 4 atm. The temperatures ranged from 1 630 to 2 273 K. The dependence of soot yield on the temperature, pressure and fuel concentration was obtained. With the changes of temperature, the soot yield is a Gauss distribution. The soot yield increases as the pressure or fuel concentration increases. The maximum of soot yield was as high as 55%. The peak temperature of soot yield was not changed dramatically with the pressure. However, it changed from 1 852 to 1 921 K as the concentration of toluene increase from 0.25% to 0.5%. Moreover, we compared the soot yield between toluene and methylcyclohexane at pressure of 4 atm with fuel concertation of 0.5%. During the pyrolysis of methylcyclohexane, the peak temperature of soot yield was 2 045 K, which is about 135 K higher than that of toluene. However, the maximum soot yield of methylcyclohexane is only 1/8 of toluene. This work provides experimental reference for the research of soot particle emission in the engines and the mechanism of soot formation.

By using three monochromator! detecting systems, the light emissions of excited-state OH*, CH* and C* radicals during the transient combustion of methylcyclohexane at high temperatures behind the reflected shock wave have been measured. The dependence of the time-history and the relative intensity of excited radicals on the temperature have been obtained. The reflected shock temperatures are 1 200-1 700 K, the shock pressure is 1.5 atm, the mole fraction of methylcyclohexane is 0.1% and the equivalence ratio is 1.0. At the beginning of the combustion process, these three radicals were produced at the same time. The durations of these radicals became shorter when the temperature increases. At the same ignition temperature, the durations of CH* and OH* are longer than that of C2*. The C2* signal disappears below 1 400 K. The emission intensities of OH* and CH* are not sensitive to the temperature at T < 1 400 K. However, at high temperature (T > 1 400 K), the peak intensity of CH* increases rapidly as temperature increases, while C2* and OH* increase slowly. Current results were compared to the simulation results of corresponding chemical reaction mechanism. The obtained time-history of OH* radical matches well with the prediction of mechanism at low temperatures, but shows difference at high temperatures. The time-history of CH* radical matches well between experimental and simulated results at high temperatures, however, the simulated durations of CH* are longer than the experimental results at low temperatures. Current work provides experimental data to validate and optimize corresponding chemical reaction mechanism containing excited-state species.

Using an intensified spectroscopic detector CCD and a heated shock tube, transient emission spectra of n-decane in the combustion reaction were measured in a spectral range of 200-850 nm. Experiments were conducted at temperatures of 1100-1600 K, a pressure of 2.0 atm, an initial fuel mole fraction of 1.0% and an equivalence ratio of 1.0. Results show that the main emission bands are attributed to OH, CH and C2 radicals produced during the combustion process of n-decane. Emission intensities of the three radicals reached their maximums only after 5 micros from the onset of their ignitions. After about 30 micros had passed, the band of OH radical was still observed, but the bands of CH and C2 radicals almost disappeared. Time histories of spectral emission intensities represent the time histories of concentrations of the three radicals during the process of combustion The emission peak ratio of OH (306.4 nm)/CH(431.4 nm) is approximately 27/100 in the combustion of n-decane, which is much greater than the corresponding ratio of about 7/100 in the combustion of n-heptane. This result reveals that the two fuels have different reaction mechanisms. High resolution characteristic spectra of CH and C2 were also acquired in the present experiment, the spectra show the rotational structures of the bands clearly. Current results are valuable for understanding the property and validating the mechanism of n-decane combustion reaction

Using an intensified spectroscopic detector CCD and a chemical shock tube, transient emission spectra of n-heptane during the reaction process of combustion were measured, with exposure time of 6 micros and a spectral range of 200 - 850 nm Experiments were conducted at an ignition temperature of 1 408 K and pressure of 2.0 atmos, with an initial fuel mole fraction of 1.0% and an equivalence ratio of 1.0. Measured emission bands were determined to be produced by OH, CH and C2 free radicals, which reveals that small OH, CH and C2 radicals are important intermediate products in the combustion process of n-heptane. Time-resolved spectra indicate that radical concentrations of OH, CH and C2 reached their peaks sharply; however, CH and C2 reduced and disappeared rapidly while the duration of OH was much longer in the reaction. This work provides experimental data for understanding the microscopic process and validating the mechanism of n-heptane combustion reaction.

Using a measurement system consisting of monochromators, photomultiplier tubes, piezoelectric pressure sensors and a digital oscilloscope, characteristic emissions of intermediate products OH, CH and C2 produced in the combustion reaction of methylcyclohexane were measured behind reflected shock waves in a shock tube, and ignition delay times of methylcyclohexane/ oxygen/argon were acquired. Experimental conditions cover temperatures from 1 164 to 1 566 K, pressures from 1.03 to 1.99 atm, a fuel concentration of 1.0%, and an equivalence ratio of 1.0. Combustion reaction characteristics of methylcyclohexane were obtained qualitatively by analyzing emissions from intermediate products OH, CH and C2. The measured ignition delay times agree with available experimental data and the prediction of a combustion reaction mechanism. Current work provides experimental data for constructing and validating the combustion reaction mechanism of methylcyclohexane.