Experimental Investigation and Kinetic Modeling of the Supercritical Pyrolysis of JP-8 Aviation Fuel

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the pyrolysis characteristics of hydrocarbon aviation fuels and to develop global thermal cracking reaction models using a batch reactor setup.The endothermic pyrolysis of JP-8, a representative kerosene-based aviation fuel, was examined at 3 MPa and 525-625°C, with residence times ranging from 100 to 220 s.Maximum fuel conversion reached ~76%, with a gas yield of ~37%.Major gaseous products included H 2 , CH 4 , C 2 H 4 , C 2 H 6 , C 3 H 6 , and C 3 H 8 , whose mass fractions generally increased with conversion.Liquid products, comprising over 100 compounds, were analyzed according to their parent molecular structures, revealing a shift from linear paraffin dominance at low conversion to increased aromatic content at higher conversion.GC-MS analysis yielded an average chemical formula of C 11.04 H 21.70 for JP-8, which guided the development of a surrogate fuel and a global one-step pyrolysis model under the PPD (Proportional Product Distribution) assumption for conversions below 30%.CFD simulations applying the model to a regenerative-cooled channel accurately predicted product distributions, with most predictions within ±20% of experimental values.The results provide key insights into JP-8 pyrolysis under supercritical conditions and demonstrate the model's applicability for predicting fuel flow and decomposition behavior in regenerative-cooled channels, supporting the design and analysis of regenerative cooling systems for hypersonic vehicles.