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A rapid compression machine for chemical kinetic studies has been developed. The design objectives of the machine were to obtain: 1)uniform well-defined core gas; 2) laminar flow condition; 3) maximum ratio of cooling to compression time; 4) side wall vortex containment; and, 5) minimum mechanical vibration. A piston crevice volume was incorporated to achieve the side wall vortex containment. Tests with inert gases showed the post-compression pressure matched with the calculated laminar pressure indicating that the machine achieved these design objectives. Measurements of ignition delays for homogeneous PRF/O2/N2/Ar mixture in the rapid compression machine have been made with five primary reference fuels (ON 100, 90, 75, 50, and 0) at an equivalence ratio of 1, a diluent (s)/oxygen ratio of 3.77, and two initial pressures of 500 Torr and 1000 Torr. Post-compression temperatures were varied by blending Ar and N2 in different ratios.

The prediction of knock onset in spark-ignition engines requires a chemical model for the autoignition of the hydrocarbon fuel-air mixture, and a description of the unburned end-gas thermal state. Previous studies have shown that a reduced chemistry model developed by Keck et al. adequately predicts the initiation of autoignition. However, the combined effects of heat transfer and compression on the state of the end gas have not been thoroughly investigated. The importance of end-gas heat transfer was studied with the objective of improving the ability of our knock model to predict knock onset over a wide range of engine conditions. This was achieved through changing the thermal environment of the end gas by either varying the inlet air temperature or the coolant temperature. Results show that there is significant heating of the in-cylinder charge during intake and a substantial part of the compression process.