A Kinetic Model Based on the Sequential Reaction Mechanism for the Noncatalytic Reformation of Jet Fuel in Supercritical Water

Abstract

An experimental kinetic study was performed on the supercritical water reformation of jet fuel to account for the interactive contributions of three principal reactions that are taking place, viz., non-catalytic reformation of original and fragmented hydrocarbon molecules, pyrolysis of hydrocarbon molecules, and water gas shift reaction. Experiments were conducted non-catalytically using supercritical water and jet fuel in a specially designed 926 mL Inconel 625 Grade-1 tubular reactor at temperatures varying from 803 to 972 K at a pressure of 24.15 ± 0.06 MPa. The Arrhenius activation energies and frequency factors were obtained for each of the three principal reactions.

Keywords:

• hydrogen
• jet fuel
• kinetic model
• reaction mechanisms
• reformation
• supercritical water