THE OXIDATION, IGNITION, AND DETONATION OF FUEL VAPORS AND GASES: VII. THE OXIDATION OF PENTANE IN VARYING CONCENTRATION IN AIR AT TEMPERATURES RISING TO 700 °C. AND THE EFFECT OF IRON CARBONYL ON REACTION VELOCITY

Abstract

Results are given for the oxidation in reaction chamber No. 10 of pentane mixed with air, mixture strength being varied from 25% weak to 100% rich. Oxidations were carried out with and without additions of iron carbonyl to the pentane. The experiments were made mainly to find a rational explanation for the antiknock property of rich fuel–air mixtures. The experimental results for undoped mixtures show that, at temperatures approaching those of the end gas in an engine reaction velocity increases by 100% on increasing mixture strength over the range mentioned above and by 100% on increasing temperature from 600° to 650 °C. Similar increases in reaction velocity with rise of temperature and with increase of mixture strength were obtained for the doped mixtures over the high temperature range but at temperatures 150 °C. lower than for undoped mixtures. The characteristics of the experimental results confirm the conclusion reached in earlier Parts, namely, that oxidation of pentane m the conditions of the experiments is a heterogeneous reaction.