EAGER: Soot Archeology - Fullerenic Nanostructure as an Indicator of C5 Precursor Chemistry

This proposal seeks to establish a correlation between fuel-air ratio and curvature in soot nanostructure. Partial pre-mixing contributes new pathways to soot formation via partial oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Accordingly the first objective is to demonstrate the relevance of C5-membered rings to fullerenic nanostructure in soot using a simple gas jet diffusion flame fueled with C5 precursor species. The second objective is demonstrating C5 production, via partial premixing using a Bunsen flame configuration. The third objective is to test fullerenic formation across temperatures for comparison to model calculations using a flat flame burner fueled with real and surrogate fuels. Modeling will be used to guide experimental efforts and support the correlations sought between nanostructure and gas phase chemistry. Calculated and measured temperature fields will serve as input to temperature-time profiles.

Results of this study will create a new paradigm ¡V using fullerenic nanostructure as a tracer for partial premixing. By showing a definitive link between nanostructure and specific precursor species this study will provide a foundation for inferring ?¶ within soot forming regions of practical combustors and engines based upon the degree of curvature observed in the soot. Beyond combustion interests, demonstrating a relation between molecular growth species and solid-state structure would spur modeling studies across carbon nanomaterials as synthesized via CVD or pyrolysis processes, including fullerenes, nanotubes and graphene.