Soot Oxidation by OH: Theory Development, Model, and Experimental Validation

Soot oxidation by OH has been represented by an equation developed by Neoh that includes the efficiency of OH radicals to react, the collision efficiency. The focus of this study is the theoretical development of the collision efficiency, enabling a more accurate prediction of soot oxidation where OH is the principle oxidizer. In addition to the traditional parameters, such as OH concentration and temperature, this approach aims to improve the prediction of soot oxidation by considering the fraction of the active area as well as the size of the soot particle and aggregate. The fraction of the active area was correlated with the type of C–H bond on the surface of particles and the concentration of H radicals that causes hydrogen abstraction from C–H bonds to create radical sites. The model was validated using experimental data for various fuels and two burner configurations.