Extraction of the suppression effects of oxygenated fuels on soot formation using a detailed chemical kinetic model

Abstract The influence of oxygenated fuels on the soot formation process inside a burning diesel jet plume was examined using a detailed chemical kinetic reaction mechanism. Normal heptane was selected as a representative diesel fuel, and methanol, ethanol and dimethyl ether were used as oxygenated fuels. It was found that the production of soot precursors, such as small unsaturated hydrocarbons and PAHs, are dramatically reduced by the use of oxygenated fuels, leading to “soot-free” diesel jet flame. Furthermore, there are remarkable differences in soot suppression effects between oxygenated fuels, which have the same molecular formula but different structures of atomic bonded oxygen.