Theoretical and kinetic study of the hydrogen abstraction reactions of ethyl propionate

Abstract

Ethyl propionate shows great promise as a biodiesel molecule model. However, the current oxidation kinetic model falls short in accurately predicting its combustion behavior. Therefore, this study employed ab initio quantum chemistry methods to analyze the hydrogen abstraction reactions of ethyl propionate with various reactive radicals, including OH, O, H, CH3, C2H3, C2H5, HO2, CH3O and CH3O2, which play a critical role in refining the oxidation kinetics. Theoretical calculations were conducted to determine the rate constants and branching ratios for these reactions at temperatures ranging from 500 K to 2500 K using transition state theory, quasi-rigid rotor harmonic oscillator model, and tunneling correction. After updating the kinetics of hydrogen abstraction reactions in the oxidation mechanism proposed by Metcalfe et al., the modified model was validated by comparing the simulated mole fraction evolutions of ethyl propionate and major products in a jet-stirred reactor, ignition delay in a closed homogeneous batch reactor, and laminar flame speed with experimental data. The findings indicate that the modified model reliably reproduces the experimental data and significantly improves the prediction accuracy for low-temperature combustion of ethyl propionate when compared to the original model.