Combustion and Flame, Vol.178, 257-267, 2017
Experimental and numerical study of a novel biofuel: 2-Butyltetrahydrofuran
A novel lignocellulosic biofuel 2-butyltetrahydrofuran (2-BTHF) is investigated experimentally and numerically in the present study. Laminar burning velocities were measured in a combustion vessel. Ignition delay times were experimentally determined in a rapid compression machine and in a shock tube at high pressures covering a wide temperature range. A detailed chemical kinetic mechanism is proposed to describe the oxidation of 2-BTHF at both low and high temperatures. It is demonstrated that the model gives satisfactory results for the various experimental configurations. For a better understanding of the oxidation kinetics, the chemical model is further used to elucidate the reaction pathways of 2-BTHF. A comparison of its ignition behavior with other C-8 hydrocarbons is further presented and the impact of the tetrahydrofuranic ring on the fuel ignition characteristics is highlighted and analyzed. (C) 2016 The Combustion Institute. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.