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The C[subscript 9]H[subscript 11] potential energy surface (PES) was experimentally and theoretically explored because it is a relatively simple, prototypical alkylaromatic radical system. Although the C[subscript 9]H[subscript 11] PES has already been extensively studied both experimentally (under single-collision and thermal conditions) and theoretically, new insights were made in this work by taking a new experimental approach: flash photolysis combined with time-resolved molecular beam mass spectrometry (MBMS) and visible laser absorbance. The C[subscript 9]H[subscript 11] PES was experimentally accessed by photolytic generation of the phenyl radical and subsequent reaction with excess propene (C[subscript 6]H[subscript 5] + C[subscript 3]H[subscript 6]). The overall kinetics of C[subscript 6]H[subscript 5] + C[subscript 3]H[subscript 6] was measured using laser absorbance with high time-resolution from 300 to 700 K and was found to be in agreement with earlier measurements over a lower temperature range. Five major product channels of C[subscript 6]H[subscript 5] + C[subscript 3]H[subscript 6] were observed with MBMS at 600 and 700 K, four of which were expected: hydrogen (H)-abstraction (measured by the stable benzene, C[subscript 6]H[subscript 6], product), methyl radical (CH[subscript 3])-loss (styrene detected), H-loss (phenylpropene isomers detected) and radical adduct stabilization. The fifth, unexpected product observed was the benzyl radical, which was rationalized by the inclusion of a previously unreported pathway on the C[subscript 9]H[subscript 11] PES: aromatic-catalysed 1,2-H-migration and subsequent resonance stabilized radical (RSR, benzyl radical in this case) formation. The current theoretical understanding of the C[subscript 9]H[subscript 11] PES was supported (including the aromatic-catalyzed pathway) by quantitative comparisons between modelled and experimental MBMS results. At 700 K, the branching to styrene + CH[subscript 3] was 2-4 times, Think Global Education Trust

Thesis: Ph. D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2018., Cataloged from PDF version of thesis., Includes bibliographical references., Predictive chemical kinetics plays an important part in the study of chemical systems by reducing the need for expensive experiments. The size and complexity of modem chemical mechanisms increasingly require the use of automated mechanism generators, such as the Reaction Mechanism Generator (RMG). Use of these automated generators for creating quality chemical mechanisms necessitates accurate reaction rates. Unfortunately, the vast majority of kinetic parameters governing rate constants are not known. The goals of this thesis are the accurate estimation of kinetic parameters and its application to the prediction of auto ignition in fuel blends. At the molecular scale, quantum chemical methods can give kinetic coefficients with accuracy nearing those of experiments. Even when specific kinetic parameters are unavailable, rates can be evaluated by analogy to similar molecules. RMG uses an averaging scheme based on arranging functional groups in a hierarchical tree structure. We have been able to continue expansion of the database to species with nitrogen and sulfur, improve methods for structural representation, and showcase validation for thermochemistry and kinetic parameter estimates. Studying kinetics at the mechanistic level allows insight into the interaction between chemical reactions. Specifically, we have been interested in finding and analyzing the reaction pathways relevant to auto ignition, simplifying well-studied fuel mechanisms for propane and methanol. We were able to define clear stages of ignition and report the controlling chemistry during each stage. Understanding of these base fuels provides the basis to analyzing ignition for larger and more novel fuels. Finally, from a macroscopic perspective we studied ignition for blends of phenolic additives in gasoline. Chemical mechanisms generated by RMG were modeled in a variable volume reactor that emulate end gas conditions of the CRF engine used to evaluate Research Octane Number (RON). We predicted the, by Nathan W. Yee., Ph. D.

This work presents kinetic modeling efforts to evaluate the anti-knock tendency of several substituted phenols if used as gasoline additives. They are p-cresol, m-cresol, o-cresol, 2,4-xylenol, 2-ethylphenol, and guaiacol. A detailed kinetic model was constructed to predict the ignition of blends of the phenols in n-butane with the help of reaction mechanism generator (RMG), an open-source software package. The resulting model, which has 1465 species and 27428 reactions, was validated against literature n-butane ignition data in the low-to-intermediate temperature range. To rank the anti-knock tendency of the additives, engine-like simulations were performed in a closed adiabatic homogenous batch reactor with a volume history derived from the pressure profile of a real research octane number (RON) engine test. The ignition timings of the additive blends were compared to that of primary reference fuels (PRFs) to quantitatively predict the anti-knock ability. The model predictions agree well with experimental determinations of the changes in RON induced by the additives. This study explains the chemical mechanism by which methyl-substituted phenols increase RON, and demonstrates how fundamental chemical kinetics can be used to evaluate practical fuel additive performance.

This work presents shock tube experiments and kinetic modeling efforts on the pyrolysis and combustion of JP-10. The experiments were performed at 6–8 atm using 2000 ppm of JP-10 over a temperature range of 1000–1600 K for pyrolysis and oxidation equivalence ratios from 0.14 to 1.0. This work distinguishes itself from previous studies as GC/MS was used to identify and quantify the products within the shocked samples, enabling the tracking of product yield dependence on equivalence ratio as well as identifying several new intermediates that form during JP-10’s decomposition. A detailed, comprehensive model of JP-10’s combustion and pyrolysis kinetics was constructed with the help of RMG, an open-source reaction mechanism generation software package. The resulting model, which includes 691 species reacting in 15,518 reactions, was extensively validated against the shock tube experimental dataset as well as newly published flow tube pyrolysis data from Ghent. Most of the important rate coefficients were computed using quantum chemistry. The model succeeds in identifying all major pyrolysis and combustion products and captures key trends in the product distribution. Simulated ignition delays agree within a factor of 4 with most experimental ignition delay data gathered from literature. The presented experimental work and modeling efforts yield new insights on JP-10’s complex decomposition and oxidation chemistry and identify key pathways towards aromatics formation., Naval Air Warfare Center (U.S.) (Contract N68335-09-C-0367), Naval Air Warfare Center (U.S.) (Contract N68335-10-C-0534), United States. Department of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (Grant DE-FG02-98ER14914), National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant 0535604), National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant 0312359), United States. Department of Energy. Office of Basic Energy Sciences (DE-SC0001198), Richard Burnes