Development of a detailed pyrolysis mechanism for C 1 –C 4 hydrocarbons under a wide range of temperature and pressure

A model of core mechanism of hydrocarbon pyrolysis with good predictive ability is crucial to the development of active cooling technology for advanced aeroengines. In this work, a detailed core kinetic model of pyrolysis of C 1 –C 4 hydrocarbon fuels is developed through the combination of a series of potential energy surfaces and validated against a series of experimental results. The kinetic model contains 103 species and 1290 reactions, and most of the kinetic and thermochemical parameters are compiled from recent highly accurate quantum chemical calculations without modification. The pressure‐dependent rate constants are considered for the dissociation/association reactions, isomerization reactions, and chemically activated reactions. Simulation results for various alkanes (methane, ethane, propane, n ‐butane, isobutane), alkenes (ethylene, propene, 1‐butene, 2‐butene, isobutene, allene, 1,3‐butadiene), and alkynes (acetylene, propyne, vinylacetylene) indicate that the major product distributions at various temperatures (800‐2300 K) and pressures (0.8‐10 atm) can be predicted well by the developed core kinetic model. Thus, the developed pyrolysis mechanism for C 1 –C 4 hydrocarbons can be used as a cornerstone to develop the pyrolysis mechanisms of larger hydrocarbon fuels and thus support the development of thermal management in advanced aeroengines.