Butyl Acetate Pyrolysis and Combustion Chemistry: Mechanism Generation and Shock Tube Experiments.

The combustion and pyrolysis behaviors of light esters and fatty acid methyl esters have been widely studied due to their relevance as biofuel and fuel additives. However, a knowledge gap exists for midsize alkyl acetates, especially ones with long alkoxyl groups. Butyl acetate, in particular, is a promising biofuel with its economic and robust production possibilities and ability to enhance blendstock performance and reduce soot formation.

Characterization of a new ultra-high pressure shock tube facility for combustion and propulsion studies.

A new shock tube facility has been designed, constructed, and characterized at the University of Central Florida. This facility is capable of withstanding pressures of up to 1000 atm, allowing for combustion diagnostics of extreme conditions, such as in rocket combustion chambers or in novel power conversion cycles. For studies with toxic gas impurities, the high initial pressures required the development of a gas delivery system to ensure the longevity of the facility and the safety of the personnel.

Measuring the effectiveness of high-performance Co-Optima biofuels on suppressing soot formation at high temperature.

Soot emissions in combustion are unwanted consequences of burning hydrocarbon fuels. The presence of soot during and following combustion processes is an indication of incomplete combustion and has several negative consequences including the emission of harmful particulates and increased operational costs. Efforts have been made to reduce soot production in combustion engines through utilizing oxygenated biofuels in lieu of traditional nonoxygenated feedstocks.

Acousto-optically modulated quantum cascade laser for high-temperature reacting systems thermometry.

We demonstrate time-resolved temperature measurements in shock-heated mixtures of carbon monoxide over a temperature range of 1000-1800 K for two pressure ranges, 2.0-2.9 atm and 7.