Insights into the combustion chemistry within a gas-turbine driven auxiliary power unit as a function of fuel type and power level using soot nanostructure as a tracer

Particulate emissions were collected from an Auxiliary power unit (APU) directly upon TEM grids for particle characterization by HRTEM. Carbonaceous emissions from two fuels, a coal-based Fischer–Tropsch and standard JP-8 were compared, each at three power levels. Differences in soot nanostructure, specifically fullerenic content reveal changes in the combustion chemistry with engine power level, as do differences in aggregate size between the two fuels. As inferred from the soot nanostructure, comparison between fuels demonstrates the impact of fuel structure upon soot formation chemistry.