Experimental Investigation of the Thermophysical Properties of the Bio-Aviation Fuel Surrogates: Binary and Ternary Mixtures of n-Dodecane, Methyl Butyrate, and Methyl Decanoate

Abstract

For the investigation of injection characteristics of fuels in the internal combustion engines or turbines, thermophysical properties like liquid kinematic viscosity, surface tension, density, and refractive index are crucial and necessary. In this work, the liquid kinematic viscosity and surface tension were measured by surface light scattering (SLS) for the binary and ternary mixtures of n-dodecane with methyl butyrate and methyl decanoate, respectively, in the temperature ranges from (308.15 to 413.15) K for the mixtures and (298.15 to 423.15) K for methyl butyrate. Additionally, the liquid density was determined by a U-tube densimeter from (293.15 to 423.15) K, and refractive index was measured from (278.15 and 358.15) K. Furthermore, the experimental data of surface tension and kinematic viscosity for the mixtures were correlated with two proposed equations against the temperatures and mole fractions. The density and refractive index data were correlated by polynomial functions. This work provides essential data and correlation models for the crucial thermophysical properties of the binary model fuels for the bio-aviation kerosene in connection with the investigation of the fuel injection and combustion system.