Shock tube measurements of jet and rocket fuel ignition delay times

Kinetic target data for the development, evaluation and refinement of detailed reaction models are needed for jet and rocket fuels. In the present study, ignition delay times for a series of jet and rocket fuels have been measured. These fuels include samples of JP-8, Jet A, JP-5, JP-10 and RP fuels. Shock tube experiments in air or argon have been performed over temperatures from 700 to 1600 K, pressures from 0.4 to 60 atm, and a range of fuel loadings from 0.2 to 2% and equivalence ratios from 0.4 to 2.0. Of particular note are the measurements of ignition delay time at intermediate to low temperatures, i.e. between 700 and 1000 K, which can be used to distinguish different combustion characteristics of jet fuel blends. In this temperature range, care must be taken to identify accurate homogeneous ignition events and distinguish these from combustion events that do not portray the ignition delay time accurately.