Sensor for determining a physicochemical property of a liquid fuel

A method of determining a physicochemical property of a liquid fuel, comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing an ignition chamber having a surface-area-to-volume ratio greater than 4.7 per inch (1.9/cm) to less than 6.0 per inch (2.4/cm);
• and comprising an inlet line disposed at one end of said ignition chamber and an outlet line disposed at an opposite end of said ignition chamber;
• (b) heating the ignition chamber to a preselected temperature;
• (c) flushing an oxidant through the chamber from the inlet line to the outline line;
• (d) closing said inlet and outlet lines and maintaining the oxidant and the chamber at the preselected temperature;
• (e) dispensing through a fuel dispenser a sample of a liquid fuel into said chamber, the fuel dispenser being positioned at or about mid-point of longest dimension of the chamber and terminating within the chamber at a dispensing coordinate about midway along both vertical and horizontal transverse axes of the chamber;
• (f) recording a time of dispensing the liquid fuel;
• (g) recording a time and magnitude of a peak in pressure or temperature within the chamber upon ignition of the liquid fuel;
• and
• (h) deriving from the recordings of steps (f) and (g) a physicochemical property of the liquid fuel.