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René Fournet

Publications and source records attributed to René Fournet.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2009

A Comparative Study of the Formation of Aromatics in Rich Methane Flames Doped by Unsaturated Compounds

For a better modeling of the importance of the different channels leading to the first aromatic ring, we have compared the structures of laminar rich premixed methane flames doped with several unsaturated hydrocarbons: allene and propyne, because they are precursors of propargyl radicals which are well known as having an important role in forming benzene, 1,3-butadiene to put in evidence a possible production of benzene due to reactions of C4 compounds, and, finally, cyclopentene which is a source of cyclopentadienylmethylene radicals which in turn are expected to easily isomerizes to give benzene. These flames have been stabilized on a burner at a pressure of 6.7 kPa (50 Torr) using argon as dilutant, for equivalence ratios (?) from 1.55 to 1.79. A unique mechanism, including the formation and decomposition of benzene and toluene, has been used to model the oxidation of allene, propyne, 1,3 butadiene and cyclopentene. The main reaction pathways of aromatics formation have been derived from reaction rate and sensitivity analyses and have been compared for the three types of additives. These combined analyses and comparisons can only been performed when a unique mechanism is available for all the studied additives.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Hydrocarbons Heterogeneous Pyrolysis: Experiments and Modeling for Scramjet Thermal Management

The last years saw a renewal of interest for hypersonic research in general and regenerative cooling specifically, with a large increase of the number of dedicated facilities and technical studies. In order to quantify the heat transfer in the cooled structures and the composition of the cracked fuel entering the combustor, an accurate model of the thermal decomposition of the fuel is required. This model should be able to predict the fuel chemical composition and physical properties for a broad range of pressures, temperatures and cooling geometries. For this purpose, an experimental and modeling study of the thermal decomposition of generic molecules (long-chain or polycyclic alkanes) that could be good surrogates of real fuels, has been started at the DCPR laboratory located in Nancy (France). This successful effort leads to several versions of a complete kinetic model. These models do not assume any effect from the material that constitutes the cooling channel. A specific experimental study was performed with two different types of steel (regular: E37, stainless: 316L). Some results are given in the present paper.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Theoretical Kinetic Study of the Ring Opening of Cyclic Alkanes

This work reports a theoretical study of the gas phase unimolecular decomposition of cyclobutane, cyclopentane and cyclohexane by means of quantum chemical calculations. A biradical mechanism has been envisaged for each cycloalkane, and the main routes for the decomposition of the biradicals formed have been investigated at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. Thermochemical data (?H\degree f, S\degree, C\degree p) for all the involved species have been obtained by means of isodesmic reactions. Rate constants have been derived for all elementary reactions using transition state theory at 1 atm and temperatures ranging from 600 to 2000 K. These values have been compared with the few data available in the literature and showed a rather good agreement.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Etude cinétique de CVD de pyrocarbone obtenu par pyrolyse de propane

High temeperature (900-1000\degree C) low pressure (<< 1 atm) pyrolysis of propane yields a pyrocarbon deposit, but also mainly hydrogen and hydrocarbons from methane to polyaromatics. 30 reaction products were exeperimentally quantified at different operating conditions. A detailed kinetic pyrolysis model (600 reactions) has been developed and validated based on the totality of experiments. This model includes a homogeneous model (describing the gas phase pyrolysis of propane) coupled with a heterogeneous model describing the pyrocarbon deposit.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Theoretical Study of the Thermal Decomposition of a Jet Fuel Surrogate

In a scramjet, the fuel can be used to cool down the engine walls. The thermal decomposition of the jet fuel changes the reacting mixture before its combustion. A numerical study of the pyrolysis of norbornane, a jet fuel surrogate, has been performed. Rate constants of some sensitive reaction channels have been calculated by means of quantum chemical calculations at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. The mechanism has been validated against experimental results obtained in a jet-stirred reactor and important and/or sensitive pathways have been derived.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Detailed kinetic models for the low-temperature auto ignition of gasoline surrogates

In the context of the search for gasoline surrogates for kinetic modeling purpose, this paper describes a new model for the low-temperature auto-ignition of n-heptane/iso-octane/hexene/toluene blends for the different linear isomers of hexene. The model simulates satisfactory experimental results obtained in a rapid compression machine for temperatures ranging from 650 to 850 K in the case of binary and ternary mixtures including iso octane, 1-hexene and toluene. Predictive simulations have also been performed for the autoignition of n heptane/iso octane/hexene/toluene quaternary mixtures: the predicted reactivity is close to that of pure iso octane with a retarding effect when going from 1- to 3-alkene.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Theoretical kinetic study of the low temperature oxidation of ethanol

In order to improve the understanding of the low temperature combustion of ethanol, high-level ab initio calculations were performed for elementary reactions involving hydroxyethylperoxy radicals. These radicals come from the addition of hydroxethyl radicals (?CH3CHOH and ?CH2CH2OH) on oxygen molecule. Unimolecular reactions involving hydroxyethylperoxy radicals and their radical products were studied at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. The results allowed to highlight the principal ways of decomposition of these radicals. Calculations of potential energy surfaces showed that the principal channels lead to the formation of HO2 radicals which can be considered, at low temperature, as slightly reactive. However, in the case of CH3CH(OOH)O? radicals, a route of decomposition yields H atom and formic peracid, which is a branching agent that can strongly enhance the reactivity of ethanol in low temperature oxidation. In addition to these analyses, high-pressure limit rate constants were derived in the temperature range 400 to 1000 K.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Formation of aromatics in rich methane flames doped by unsaturated compounds

In order to better understand the importance of the different channels leading to the first aromatic ring, we have investigated, the structure of a laminar rich premixed methane flame doped with several unsaturated hydrocarbons: allene and propyne, as they are precursors of propargyl radicals, which are well known as having an important role in forming benzene, 1,3-butadiene, to put in evidence a possible production of benzene due to reactions of C4 compounds, and, finally, cyclopentene, which is a source of cyclopentadienyl methylene radicals which are supposed to easily isomerizes to give benzene. A ratio additive / CH4 of 16 % and an equivalence ratio of 1.79 have been used. These flames have been stabilized on a burner at a pressure of 6.7 kPa using argon as dilutant. A new mechanism for the oxidation of allene, propyne, 1,3 butadiene and cyclopentene has been proposed including the formation and decomposition of benzene and toluene. The main reaction pathways of formation of aromatics have been derived from flow rate analyses and have been compared for the three types of additives.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

A Lean Methane Prelixed Laminar Flame Doped witg Components of Diesel Fuel. Part I: n)Butylbenzene

To better understand the chemistry involved during the combustion of components of diesel fuel, the structure of a laminar lean premixed methane flame doped with n-butylbenzene has been investigated. The inlet gases contained 7.1% (molar) of methane, 36.8% of oxygen and 0.96% of n-butylbenzene corresponding to an equivalence ratio of 0.74 and a ratio C10H14 / CH4 of 13.5%. The flame has been stabilized on a burner at a pressure of 6.7 kPa using argon as diluent, with a gas velocity at the burner of 49.2 cm/s at 333 K. Quantified species included the usual methane C0-C2 combustion products, but also 16 C3-C5 hydrocarbons, 7 C1-C3 oxygenated compounds, as well as 20 aromatic products, namely benzene, toluene, phenylacetylene, styrene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, allylbenzene, propylbenzene, cumene, methylstyrenes, butenylbenzenes, indene, indane, naphthalene, phenol, benzaldehyde, anisole, benzylalcohol, benzofuran, and isomers of C10H10 (1-methylindene, dihydronaphtalene, butadienylbenzene). A new mechanism for the oxidation of n-butylbenzene is proposed whose predictions are in satisfactory agreement with measured species profiles in flames and flow reactor experiments. The main reaction pathways of consumption of n butylbenzene have been derived from flow rate analyses.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Experimental study of the structure of a lean premixed indane/CH4/O2/Ar flame

In order to better understand the chemistry involved during the combustion of components of diesel fuel, the structure of a laminar lean premixed methane flame doped with indane has been investigated. The gases of this flame contains 7.1% (molar) of methane, 36.8% of oxygen and 0.90% of indane corresponding to an equivalence ratio of 0.74 and a ratio C9H10/CH4 of 12.75%. The flame has been stabilized on a burner at a pressure of 6.7 kPa using argon as dilutant, with a gas velocity at the burner of 49.2 cm/s at 333 K. Quantified species included usual methane C0-C2 combustion products, but also 11 C3-C5 hydrocarbons and 3 C1-C3 oxygenated compounds, as well as 17 aromatic products, namely benzene, toluene, phenylacetylene, styrene, ethylbenzene, xylenes, trimethylbenzenes, ethyltoluenes, indene methylindane, methylindene, naphthalene, phenol, benzaldehyde, benzofuran. The temperature was measured thanks to a thermocouple in PtRh (6%)-PtRh (30%) settled inside the enclosure and ranged from 800 K close to the burner up to 2000 K in the burned gases.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2009

Theoretical kinetic study of thermal unimolecular decomposition of cyclic alkyl radicals

While many studies have been reported on the reactions of aliphatic hydrocarbons, the chemistry of cyclic hydrocarbons has not been explored extensively. In the present work, a theoretical study of the gas-phase unimolecular decomposition of cyclic alkyl radicals was performed by means of quantum chemical calculations at the CBS-QB3 level of theory. Energy barrier and high-pressure limit rate constants were calculated systematically. Thermochemical data were obtained from isodesmic reactions and the contribution of hindered rotors was taken into account. Classical transition state ...

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2007

Rich methane laminar flames doped with light unsaturated hydrocarbons. Part III : cyclopentene

In line with the studies presented in the parts I and II of this paper, the structure of a laminar rich premixed methane flame doped with cyclopentene has been investigated. The gases of this flame contains 15.3% (molar) of methane, 26.7% of oxygen and 2.4% cyclopentene corresponding to an equivalence ratio of 1.79 and a ratio C5H8 / CH4 of 16 %. The flame has been stabilized on a burner at a pressure of 6.7 kPa using argon as dilutant, with a gas velocity at the burner of 36 cm/s at 333 K. The temperature ranged from 627 K close to the burner up to 2027 K. Quantified species included usual methane C0-C2 combustion products, but also propyne, allene, propene, propane, 1-butene, 1,3-butadiene, 1,2-butadiene, vinylacetylene, diacetylene, cyclopentadiene, 1,3-pentadiene, benzene and toluene. A new mechanism for the oxidation of cyclopentene has been proposed. The main reaction pathways of consumption of cyclopentene and of formation of benzene and toluene have been derived from flow rate analyses.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2007

Rich methane laminar flames doped with light unsaturated hydrocarbons. Part II: 1,3butadiene

In line with the study presented in the part I of this paper, the structure of a laminar rich premixed methane flame doped with 1,3-butadiene has been investigated. The flame contains 20.7% (molar) of methane, 31.4% of oxygen and 3.3% of 1,3-butadiene, corresponding to an equivalence ratio of 1.8, and a ratio C4H6 / CH4 of 16 %. The flame has been stabilized on a burner at a pressure of 6.7 kPa using argon as dilutant, with a gas velocity at the burner of 36 cm/s at 333 K. The temperature ranged from 600 K close to the burner up to 2150 K. Quantified species included usual methane C0-C2 combustion products and 1,3-butadiene, but also propyne, allene, propene, propane, 1,2-butadiene, butynes, vinylacetylene, diacetylene, 1,3-pentadiene, 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene (isoprene), 1-pentene, 3-methyl-1-butene, benzene and toluene. In order to model these new results, some improvements have been made to a mechanism previously developed in our laboratory for the reactions of C3-C4 unsaturated hydrocarbons. The main reaction pathways of consumption of 1,3-butadiene and of formation of C6 aromatic species have been derived from flow rate analyses. In this case, the C4 route to benzene formation plays an important role in comparison to the C3 pathway.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2007

Thermal stability of n-dodecane : experiments and kinetic modelling

The thermal decomposition of n-dodecane, a component of some jet fuels, has been studied in a jet-stirred reactor at temperatures from 793 to 1093 K, for residence times between 1 and 5 s and at atmospheric pressure. Thermal decomposition of hydrocarbon fuel prior the entrance in the combustion chamber is an envisaged way to cool the wall of hypersonic vehicles. The products of the reaction are mainly hydrogen, methane, ethane, 1,3-butadiene and 1-alkenes from ethylene to 1-undecene. For higher temperatures and residence times acetylene, allene, propyne, cyclopentene, 1,3-cyclopentadiene and aromatic compounds from benzene to pyrene through naphthalene have also been observed. A previous detailed kinetic model of the thermal decomposition of n-dodecane generated using EXGAS software has been improved and completed by a sub-mechanism explaining the formation and the consumption of aromatic compounds.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2007

The autoignition of cyclopentane and cyclohexane in a shock tube

Ignition delay times of cyclohexane-oxygen-argon and cyclopentane-oxygen-argon mixtures have been measured in a shock tube, the onset of ignition being detected by OH radical emission. Mixtures contained 0.5 or 1 % of hydrocarbon for equivalence ratios ranging from 0.5 to 2. Reflected shock waves allowed temperatures from 1230 to 1800 K and pressures from 7.3 to 9.5 atm to be obtained. These measurements have shown that cyclopentane is much less reactive than cyclohexane, as for a given temperature the observed autoignition delay times were about ten times higher for the C5 compound compared to the C6. Detailed mechanisms for the combustion of cyclohexane and cyclopentane have been proposed to reproduce these results. The elementary steps included in the kinetic models of the oxidation of cyclanes are close to those proposed to describe the oxidation of acyclic alkanes and alkenes. Consequently, it has been possible to obtain these models by using an improved version of software EXGAS, a computer package developed to perform the automatic generation of detailed kinetic models for the gas-phase oxidation and combustion of linear and branched alkanes and alkenes. Nevertheless, the modelling of the oxidation of cyclanes requires to consider new types of generic reactions, and especially to define new correlations for the estimation of the rate constants. Ab initio calculations have been used to better know some of the rate constants used in the case of cyclopentane. The main reaction pathways have been derived from flow rate and sensitivity analyses.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2007

Kinetic modelling of a surrogate diesel fuel applied to 3D auto-ignition in HCCI engines

The prediction of auto-ignition delay times in HCCI engines has risen interest on detailed chemical models. This paper described a validated kinetic mechanism for the oxidation of a model Diesel fuel (n-decane and α-methylnaphthalene). The 3D model for the description of low and high temperature auto-ignition in engines is presented. The behavior of the model fuel is compared with that of n-heptane. Simulations show that the 3D model coupled with the kinetic mechanism can reproduce experimental HCCI and Diesel engine results and that the correct modeling of auto-ignition in the cool flame region is essential in HCCI conditions.

physics.chem-ph↗
arXiv2007

Modelling of the gas-phase oxidation of cyclohexane

This paper presents a modeling study of the oxidation of cyclohexane from low to intermediate temperature (650-1050 K), including the negative temperature coefficient (NTC) zone. A detailed kinetic mechanism has been developed using computer-aided generation. This comprehensive low-temperature mechanism involves 513 species and 2446 reactions and includes two additions of cyclohexyl radicals to oxygen, as well as subsequent reactions. The rate constants of the reactions involving the formation of bicyclic species (isomerizations, formation of cyclic ethers) have been evaluated from literature data. This mechanism is able to satisfactorily reproduce experimental results obtained in a rapid-compression machine for temperatures ranging from 650 to 900 K and in a jet-stirred reactor from 750 to 1050 K. Flow-rate analyses have been performed at low and intermediate temperatures.

physics.chem-ph↗