Coke suppression of kerosene by wall catalytic steam reforming

Abstract

A new method is developed to decrease coke formation during the thermal cracking of kerosene with applications in air-breathing jet engines. Endothermic catalytic steam reforming of kerosene is tested to investigate the potential for consuming excess heat and decreasing coke deposition rates. A plate reactor is used to simulate an engine-cooling channel and to compare the coke deposition with and without use of a reforming catalyst. The reactor temperature and the blending proportions of water fed to the reactor are varied across experiments. Spraying catalyst on the channel's inner surface prevents the production of filamentous coke, the production of which is catalyzed by the metal surface. The generation of a certain amount of hydrogen from the catalytic steam reforming of kerosene favors the reverse direction of the Diels–Alder and polymerization reactions, consuming the aromatic coke precursors and decreasing the coke formation rate. The effects of varying water content and reactor temperature on coke formation have been investigated during the thermal cracking of kerosene with catalysis. The coking rate decreases with an increase in water content. However, the suppression of coking become weaker as the fuel temperature is increased.