Influence of quadricyclane additive on ignition and combustion properties of high-density JP-10 fuel

With the development of supersonic aerospace propulsion, the demand for high-density fuels with excellent ignition and combustion performance has become imperative. This work will explore the influence of strained quadricyclane (QC) on ignition and combustion properties of high-density fuel JP-10 utilizing shock tube, hot-plate ignitions, and oxygen bomb combustion. Shock tube test shows that 1% QC/JP-10 blended fuel gives a 40% decrease of ignition delay time and a 17% decrease of apparent ignition activation energy compared with pure JP-10, respectively. Hot-plate ignition test shows that adding 1% QC in JP-10 can decrease the ignition delay time by 20% and reduce the lowest ignition temperature by 20 °C. Oxygen bomb calorimetric test shows that 1% QC/JP-10 blended fuel gives the highest heat of combustion and the highest combustion efficiency in air excessive ratio range of 1.2–2. The most significant effect of 1% QC addition is attributed to the easy flammability and low activation energy of QC. This work also suggests QC as a good additive to enhance the combustion performance of high-density fuels.