Ignition and Combustion Performances of High-Energy-Density Jet Fuels Catalyzed by Pt and Pd Nanoparticles

High-energy-density fuels are critical for supersonic aerospace propulsion, but they suffer from the difficulties of ignition and low level of combustion completion. This research reports Pt and Pd nanoparticles (NPs)-assisted ignition and combustion of a high-energy-density JP-10 fuel. Pt and Pd NPs in the 2 to 8 nm size range were synthesized and dispersed in JP-10 to form homogeneous suspended mixtures. The mixtures were stable for over two years, and the Pt and Pd NPs did not precipitate after high speed centrifugation. The presence of Pt and Pd NPs almost had no influence on the viscosity and density of the JP-10 fuel samples, and both the Pt NPs/JP-10 and Pd NPs/JP-10 fuels showed good low temperature viscosities. The shock tube test results showed that Pt and Pd NPs can effectively improve the ignition and combustion performances of JP-10 fuel because Pt and Pd NPs can reduce the apparent ignition activation energy of JP-10. In comparison with the apparent activation energy of pure JP-10 fuel, the apparent ignition activation energy for 100 ppm Pt NPs contained JP-10 showed a decrease of 54%. For 100 ppm Pd NPs dispersed JP-10 fuel, a 76% activation energy reduction was observed. The results of oxygen bomb calorimetric testing have confirmed that the combustion completion level of Pt and Pd NPs participated JP-10 fuels increases with the increasing NPs concentration at a high coefficient between 1 and 1.8. The 100 ppm Pd NPs suspended JP-10 fuel was found with the highest heat of combustion at a high coefficient beyond 1.8.