Partial oxidation of JP8 in a well-insulated distributed reactor

Low temperature fuel reforming via partial oxidation in a distributed reactor has shown superior performances compared to other lower temperature approaches. Previous results and literature indicated higher reactor temperatures to yield superior results. The well-insulated reactor developed incorporated elements of the low temperature reactor design. The syngas obtained was of better quality in terms of gas species component present and the syngas heating value than that reported previously from a non-catalytic reformer. The syngas composition consisted of 19.2% hydrogen and 20.8% carbon monoxide and these values are higher than the previously reported data. Lower series of hydrocarbons (acetylene and propane) were only detected in trace amounts (less than 15 ppm). Elevated reactor temperatures promoted the dissociation of lower series of hydrocarbons (methane, acetylene, and ethylene), which provided additional syngas formation. The gas species concentrations obtained approached that of catalytic reforming. Flame regime was determined through numerical diagnostics. As reaction regime became less distributed with higher injection temperature, reformate quality was adversely impacted. The mitigation of thermal losses from the well-insulated reactor promoted superior reformer efficiency by allowing the reactor to achieve conditions not possible in low temperature reactors.