Empirical Modeling of Synthetic Fuel Combustion in a Small Turbofan

Drop-in fuels for aviation gas-turbine engines have been introduced recently to mitigate global warming. Despite their similarity to the fossil fuel Jet A-1, their combustion in traditional combustors should be thoroughly analyzed to maintain engine health and low emissions. The paper introduces criteria for assessing the impact of the chemical composition of fuels on combustion in the DEGN 380 turbofan. Based on previous emission-test results, the power functions of carbon monoxide and its emission index were adopted as the model of combustion. Based on the general notation of chemical reactions leading to the production of CO in combustion, the regression coefficients were given a physical meaning by linking them with the parameters of the kinetic equations, i.e., the reaction rate constant of CO and CO2 formation expressed as exponential functions of combustor outlet temperature and the concentration of O2 in the exhaust gas, as well as stoichiometric combustion reactions. The obtained empirical functions show that, in the entire range of engine operating parameters, synthetic components affect the values of the rate constants of CO and CO2 formation. It can be explained by the change in activation energy determined for all chain-of-combustion reactions. The activation energy for the CO formation chain changes in the range between 8.5 kJ/mol for A0 and 24.7 kJ/mol for A30, while for the CO2 formation chain between 29.8 kJ/mol for A0 and 30.8 kJ/mol for A30. The reactivity coefficient lnαiCOACODCO changes between 2.29 for A0 and 6.44 for A30, while lnαiCO2ACO2DCO2 changes between 7.90 for A0 and 8.08 for A30.