Development of a novel fast screening method for fuel sooting tendency using soot precursor measurements in relation to the YSI

• Novel fast screening method for analyzing different soot precursors of neat hydrocarbon structures and complex fuels. • Investigation of correlation between specific soot precursor species and established YSI data. • Development of the Derived Sooting Index (DSI) based on YSI correlations. Alternative aviation fuels are crucial to achieve CO 2 neutrality and reduce non-CO 2 climate effects. By reducing soot and advancing the understanding of contrail formation, these fuels hold the potential to mitigate warming effects on a global scale while also improving local air quality. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of pollutant formation during the combustion of fuels or single component model fuels, with a particular focus on soot formation, is crucial for further fuel optimization. The development of fast and efficient methods for measuring parameters like the soot potential with regard to different molecular components are essential to achieve this objective. A novel screening method is currently under development to provide a fast overview of soot tendencies of different fuels or fuel components. To enhance the efficiency of measuring the soot tendency related to the yield sooting index (YSI), through the reduction of sample volumes, automation, and increased throughput in a shorter time frame compared to existing experiments with diffusion flames. This approach is based on measurements of soot precursors in the DLR’s flow reactor coupled with molecular-beam mass spectrometry (MBMS). In order to optimize the throughput of samples, a standalone autosampler apparatus has been integrated into the existing experimental setup, together with a new method for the data evaluation. This study provides insights into the soot formation by demonstrating a correlation between measured signal intensities of C 12 H 10 as soot precursor, obtained through the developed method, and the YSI, while also introducing a novel sooting index, called derived sooting index (DSI).