Some aspects of blast from fuel-air explosives

Numerical solutions of the blast wave flow from a spherical explosive charge were obtained using the artificial viscosity technique as employed by Oppenheim. The flow is treated as adiabatic and inviscid and ideal equations of state are used for reactants, products and the surrounding air environment. Differences are noted in the peak pressure, static impulse and dynamic impulse resulting from three representative types of idealized initiation: (1) centrally initiated, self-similar Chapman-Jouguet detonation, (2) edge initiated spherical implosion and (3) constant volume energy release followed by sudden venting to the environment. These are compared to the ideal point blast with counterpressure of the same total energy release. In addition, numerical solutions are presented for centrally initiated, stoichiometric hydrogen-oxygen mixtures surrounded by air for detonation and for deflagration according to an empirically determined, non-steady flame velocity. The greater energy transfer to the environment in the case of detonation is demonstrated.     

Initiation of spherical detonation in hydrocarbon/air mixtures

Spherical detonations have been initiated by solid explosive (Tetryl) charges in well-mixed stoicheiometric air mixtures with each of the hydrocarbons, ethane, propane, n-butane, isobutane and ethylene at atmospheric pressure. Prior to initiation, the gases were contained in plastic bags; total gas volume and available path length were up to 1.6 m³ and 2 m, respectively. The detonations were shown to be self-sustained by continuous measurement of detonation velocity using X-band microwave interferometry. Measured detonation velocities were in all cases close to calculated C-J values.In a few experiments close to the limits of detonability, velocity and blast pressure/time records indicated that the propagating wave system is sometimes irregular. The irregularity that occurs just after initiation is characterised by a reaction front velocity very much lower than the constant detonation velocity, but subsequently attaining the latter by an acceleration process. These observations indicate the existence of a dissociated phase in which shock and reaction fronts may no longer be coupled.Because similar experimental conditions were used throughout, it was possible to establish the relative susceptibilities of the various fuel gases to detonation. Comparison is made with the Zeldovich criterion and a detonation kernel theory of Lee.     

A numerical study of the charge diameter effect on unsteady detonation

A numerical study for the unsteady detonation of an unconfined tetryl charge of small diameter, which is assumed to be homogeneous, was performed by using the two-dimensional Lagrangian hydrodynamic computer code, 2 DL, with the first order Arrhenius equation of reaction rate. Becker-Kistiakowsky-Wilson (BKW) and Kihara-Hikita (KH) equations of state have been applied to the detonation products.In the case of BKW, it is shown that the rarefaction waves propagating inward from the lateral surface make the reaction rate slow and give a curvature to the front. Then after an induction time, a strong initiation occurs in the reaction zone near the lateral surface and higher pressure zone moves to the axis. This higher pressure accelerates the detonation propagation near the lateral surface and the curvature of detonation front is reduced. Then, the reaction at the lateral surface again begins to decay by the rarefaction waves. Such a sequence of process is repeated periodically.The possibility of the occurrence of the strong initiation depends on the pressure and temperature in the shocked zone near the surface. In a small diameter charge, the delayed explosion becomes weaker near the surface, while its frequency increases. No shock interaction occurs because the direction of the particle flow is always divergent.In the case of KH equation of state, the temperature of detonation is higher than that obtained by BKW and the behaviour of instability becomes rather different from the previous result, i.e. in the axis the pressure oscillates repeating the overdriven and underdriven detonation similar with the case of BKW.     

Photochemical initiation of gaseous detonations

Direct initiation of detonations in gaseous mixtures of C₂H₂-O₂, H₂-O₂ and H₂-Cl₂ in the pressure range of 10–150 torr using flash photolysis was studied. Similar to blast initiation using a concentrated powerful energy source, it was found that for photochemical initiation, there exists a certain threshold of flash intensity and energy for each mixture at any given initial pressure and composition below which a deflagration is formed. At the critical threshold, however, a fully developed detonation is rapidly formed in the immediate vicinity of the window of incident UV radiation. However, at super critical flash energies, the amplitude of the detonation formed decreases and combustion of the entire irradiated volume approaches a constant volume explosion. It was found that photo-chemical initiation requires both a certain minimum peak value of the free radical concentration generated by the photo-dissociation as well as an appropriate gradient of this free radical distribution. The minimum peak radical concentration permits rapid reaction rates for the generation of strong pressure waves, while the gradient is necessary for the amplification of the shock waves to a detonation. If the gradient is absent and the free radicals are uniformly distributed in the mixture, then the entire volume simply explodes as in a constant volume process. The present study reveals that the mechanism of photochemical initiation is one of proper temporal synchronization of the chemical energy release to the shock wave as it propagates through the mixture. In analogy to the LASER, the term SWACER is introduced to represent this mechanism of Shock Wave Amplication by Coherent Energy Release. There are strong indications that this SWACER mechanism is universal and plays the main role in the formation of detonations whenever a powerful concentrated external source is not used to generate a strong shock wave in the explosive.     

Effects of a hot jet on detonation initiation and propagation in supersonic combustible mixtures

The effects of a hot jet on detonation initiation and propagation in supersonic combustible mixtures has been studied with two-dimensional numerical simulations with the open-source program AMROC that uses a block-structured adaptive mesh refinement method. Results indicate that the hot jet could ignite the detonation effectively in supersonic combustible mixtures like a pneumatic ramp. After the realization of the detonation initiation, the hot jet can still play an important role on the detonation propagation during its continuous ejection. For a hot jet with certain diameter, it can result in an overdriven detonation with almost constant overdrive degree. After the shutdown of the hot jet, the stable CJ detonation combustion was realized finally in the supersonic combustible mixtures. With the re-ejection of the hot jet, the failed detonation could be reinitiated quickly. Through the control of the re-ejection of the hot jet, it plays a key role not only in the initiation process, but also in the subsequent continuous detonation combustion period.     

煤油温度对于爆震波形成影响的实验研究

在内径为30mm的脉冲爆震发动机模型上，以煤油为燃料，以空气为氧化剂，成功地进行了两相爆震实验，获得了充分发展的脉冲爆震波。测试了在化学恰当比，不同爆震频率及燃油温度下的爆震波压力，并对其变化进行了分析。通过分析实验结果发现，在化学恰当比下，爆震频率不变时，煤油温度的升高明显促进了爆震的形成，在内径小于混合物胞格尺寸的爆震管内，可以形成充分发展的两相脉冲爆震波。     

High speed gas flows in explosions of cavitated explosives

A possibility of attaining steady flow of detonation products with specific energy much larger than the specific chemical energy of explosive is demonstrated in the case when a cylindrical charge of explosive is fitted with an evacuated cavity. Simple estimates and results of numerical analysis of the process are presented. Steady process may be considered to occur under the following assumptions: (1) effects arising due to jet interaction with cavity walls are negligible; (2) the detonation process is steady. In the case of limited explosive lengths these assumptions have been shown to be correct.When the cavity is filled with gas or liquid, a variety of steady and non-steady flow regimes is possible, depending on the density of the filling medium. One well-known case is that of flow with irregular reflection of shock waves at the cavity axis accompanied with the formation of Mach intersections. Another interesting flow regime is observed to occur in the case of low density filling medium (liquid hydrogen, for example). In this case the filling medium is driven by a “detonation piston” at constant velocity, equal to the velocity of detonation, forming a uniform growing column of hot shock-compressed matter, specific energy of which exceeds by one order of magnitude the specific energy of the explosive. Obviously, the walls of the vessel containing hydrogen must be able to withstand radial loads for a sufficiently long time (20 μ sec).The relative merits of these methods in comparison to others in high speed gas-dynamics is discussed.     

Cylindrical heterogeneous detonation waves

Further experimental studies of blast wave initiated cylindrical heterogeneous (liquid fuel drops, gas oxidizer) detonation waves are described. A pie-shaped shock tube, used for these studies, was altered in certain ways so as to improve the modeling of cylindrical waves. These modifications, along with some operational aspects, are briefly discussed. The breech of the facility, where the blast wave is generated by an explosive, became distorted with usage. Results are presented which show that lower detonation velocities are realized with the damaged breech (other conditions being the same). A photographic and pressure switch wave time of arrival study was made to ascertain the wave shape. Photographs are shown which show that the waves, blast as well as detonation, are close to cylindrical. However, in some cases there is appreciable distortion of the wave front by debris ahead of the wave. Presumably this debris comes from the blasting cap used to ignite the condensed explosive. A series of experiments was conducted using kerosene drops of 388 μm diameter dispersed in air through use of a large number of hypodermic needles. Radial fuel void regions were established by cutting off the fuel flow to a number of needles. Preliminary results relating to the effect of the size of the cloud gap on detonation velocity, quenching, and the initiator energy levels required for detonation are discussed.     

The failure of marginal detonations in expanding channels

Critical conditions for detonation failure due to tube expansion have been observed in marginal detonations propagating in a in. (6.35 × 76.2 mm) channel. In these experiments, a well established marginal detonation propagating in the narrow channel entered a test section in which one of the narrow walls was inclined to the central axis at positive angles which ranged from 10° to 45°. Experiments were performed at pressures ranging from 60 to 200 torr (8 to 26.7 kPa) in stoichiometric hydrogen-oxygen mixtures diluted with 20, 50 and 70% argon. Smoke track records obtained on the surface which is the major dimension of the tube, were used to determine failure, incipient failure or self-sustenance of the entering wave.Because of the narrow tube used in the studies the incident waves were marginal in that their velocity was below the expected CJ (Chapman-Jouguet) value, their transverse wave spacing was larger than one would see in a large tube, and the transverse waves were of greater strength than in an ordinary detonation. All of these indicators of marginal behavior became progressively more pronounced as the pressure dropped from 200 torr (26.7 kPa) to the limit pressure of approximately 58 torr (7.73 kPa).The most interesting result of this experimental investigation is that the theoretical analyses predicted that simple one-dimensional opening of the tube should not show a pressure dependence to failure, while the experiments showed a definite decrease in the opening angle required for failure as initial pressure decreased. This behavior is related to the marginality of the incident waves, which is observed to increase smoothly with decreased pressure. It is postulated that detonation failure in the hydrogen-oxygen system occurs when the shock velocity at the end of the cell drops to about 0.60 of the CJ value due either to marginal behavior or to an expansion of the cross section of the tube.     

Some technical aspects of gaseous detonation

This paper briefly describes two attempts to utilize detonative combustion processes to MHD conversion of thermal energy of fuel to electrical energy and bonding of atmospheric nitrogen. For this purpose a continuous impulse detonation chamber with a frequency up to 200 cps was constructed. Using methane-oxygen-nitrogen mixtures the chamber was maintained in stable operation for several hundred hours. Oil was also employed as fuel.Estimates based on experimental data showed that up to 2% of chemical energy of the fuel may be converted into electrical energy. The use of an accelerating nozzle may improve this result.The concentration of nitrogen oxide in combustion products of the detonation wave was higher by 14% than that expected under usual combustion conditions.The advantages of this type of apparatus are: absence of compressors for fuel and oxidant, impulse current generation, low temperatures of chamber walls, and operation over a large range of operating conditions.Problems associated with the effect of the magnetic field on the propagation of the detonation wave are discussed and the possibility of applying the Zeldovich theory to the case of MHD interaction is described. It is shown that the detonation velocity may either increase or decrease depending on the relative orientation of the direction of magnetic field with respect to the detonation wave.     

The generation of detonation by coalescing spherical deflagration waves

The generation of a spherical detonation was verified experimentally by two coalescing deflagration waves. Numerical results of treating the three different types of deflagration of detonation transition with Hugoniot curves are in full agreement with our experimental observations.     

Estimate of the NO concentration in the auroral region based on emission intensities of 391.4, 557.7, and 630.0 nm

Using numerical modeling, the influence of the NO concentration on the intensity of 557.7 nm emission in aurora caused by electron precipitation has been studied. It has been shown that the O₂ ⁺ NO reaction, which reduces the contribution of the dissociative recombination of the O₂ ⁺ ion into the formation of the ¹S state of atomic oxygen, is the main channel of suppression of the intensity of the emission at 557.7 nm. A method of estimating the NO concentration in the aurora based on the data of photometric measurements of emissions at 391.4, 557.7, and 630.0 nm has been proposed. The method has been tested using the data of simultaneous rocket measurements of emissions at 391.4, 557.7, and 630.0 nm and the NO content in aurora. A good agreement of estimates of the NO concentrations performed by the method to the results of direct measurements has been obtained.     

Experiments on velocity augmentation of spherical flames by grids

Using spherical wire mesh screens with a wire diameter d and a mesh size l, an experimental study was carried out involving homogeneous mixtures of propane/air, ethylene/air, acetylene/air and with oxygen enriched air. Streak photographs of the processes were taken, yielding information on the flame propagation speeds inside and outside the screen. The ratio of the two speeds immediately before and after crossing the screen, α, can be interpreted as practically equivalent (for the same “heat release”) to the ratio of flame velocities relative to the unburned gas, i.e. Values of (α − 1) are correlated with the Reynolds number based on the wire thickness d, density and viscosity of the unburned gas and flame propagation speed inside the wire mesh. The experiments were repeated with two and three spheres of different diameters, e.g. inner screen 9 cm in diameter and outer screen 18 cm in diameter or three screens, 9, 13.5 and 18 cm, respectively. The second screen usually added a factor of 2 on the value of α. The third screen produced very little additional effect. The highest value of α we ever obtained for mixtures with air was about 12 (for acetylene/air). With oxygen enriched air the situation is quite different. If the flame velocity of the laminar flame relative to the unburned gas exceeds 2 m/sec, the value of α may increase up to a level corresponding to detonation.     

Recent experiments in laser supported absorption waves

Recent experimental studies with laser supported absorption waves, arising from intense laser radiation incident upon various surface materials, are discussed. The propagation characteristics of both subsonic (laser supported combustion), intensity about 10⁵ W/cm², and supersonic (laser supported detonation), intensity greater than 10⁶ W/cm², waves are described, including the dependence of wave speed on laser intensity, beam diameter, gas density and laser wave length. Measurements of the plasma properties in such waves are described, and the analysis of these data allows conclusions identifying the dominant transport mechanism in such waves. It is also concluded that in the LSC (subsonic) case, radial flow ahead of and within the wave are dominant features of the wave structure. The equipment and laser facilities used in the experiments are also discussed.     

气相氛围中悬浮粉末燃料爆震燃烧研究进展

针对在氧化性气相氛围以及在燃料/氧化剂混合气相氛围中粉末燃料爆震燃烧波的传播特性,总结了气相氛围中悬浮粉末燃料爆震燃烧的实验和数值模拟研究进展,归纳了影响爆震波速度、稳定性、传播模式、细观结构和胞格尺寸的主要因素。同时,还介绍了粉末燃料应用于爆震发动机或燃烧室的案例;结合粉末爆震自身特点对实验装置和燃烧诊断测试手段和数值模拟方法进行总结分析;最后针对下一步需要开展的研究工作进行展望 。     

Hydrodynamic instabilities and transverse waves in propagation mechanism of gaseous detonations

The present study examines the role of transverse waves and hydrodynamic instabilities mainly, Richtmyer–Meshkov instability (RMI) and Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) in detonation structure using two-dimensional high-resolution numerical simulations of Euler equations. To compare the numerical results with those of experiments, Navier–Stokes simulations are also performed by utilizing the effect of diffusion in highly irregular detonations. Results for both moderate and low activation energy mixtures reveal that upon collision of two triple points a pair of forward and backward facing jets is formed. As the jets spread, they undergo Richtmyer–Meshkov instability. The drastic growth of the forward jet found to have profound role in re-acceleration of the detonation wave at the end of a detonation cell cycle. For irregular detonations, the transverse waves found to have substantial role in propagation mechanism of such detonations. In regular detonations, the lead shock ignites all the gases passing through it, hence, the transverse waves and hydrodynamic instabilities do not play crucial role in propagation mechanism of such regular detonations. In comparison with previous numerical simulations present simulation using single-step kinetics shows a distinct keystone-shaped region at the end of the detonation cell.     

流体喷管的脉冲爆震发动机出口过膨胀优化数值研究

在脉冲爆震发动机工作过程中,爆震室压力处于强非定常状态.传统的型面不可调尾喷管与可调尾喷管都无法满足爆震室内压力的高频剧烈变化,进而导致较大的推力损失.为了提升现有脉冲爆震发动机型面不可调增推喷管性能,可以从爆震室中引出爆震燃气,通过无阀自适应控制将该二次流喷射在喷管扩张段,实时调节主流的有效扩张面积比,进而形成流体喷...     

Closed theoretical model of a detonation cell

A model for an elementary detonation cell is postulated. On its basis, the geometry of the cell pattern and the kinematics of the wave fronts forming the cells are evaluated. The cell size is determined assuming that the induction time obeys an Arrhenius relationship with temperature. Thus, it is shown that some kinetic parameters of the mixture, such as the activation energy, can be deduced from the cell size. It is also demonstrated that by combining the cell model with the experimental data on the propagation of the detonation wave in a rapidly expanding channel, the initiation energy for a cylindrical detonation wave can be estimated.     

超声速斜爆震发动机起爆过程研究综述

对超声速斜爆震发动机的起爆方式进行了比较分析,对起爆发展和稳定特性的研究历程和发展现状进行了综述,对相关的研究方法和技术进行了概括,提出了利用先进光学测量技术,结合激光诱导荧光技术对超声速斜爆震发动机起爆过程进行实验研究的设想。     

Numerical simulation of effects of the August 11, 1999 solar eclipse in the outer ionosphere

The results of a numerical simulation of such parameters of the topside ionosphere as concentration N _e and temperature T _e of electrons, and concentration n(H⁺) and fluxes along the magnetic field lines Φ(H⁺) of H⁺ ions at an altitude of ～2000 km for the conditions of the August 11, 1999 solar eclipse are presented. The calculations were performed using the Global Self-consistent Model of the Thermosphere, Ionosphere, and Protonosphere of the Earth (GSM TIP). It is shown that during the eclipse, in addition to a region of decreased values of T _e in the Northern Hemisphere and in the magnetically conjugate region in the Southern Hemisphere, regions of electron heating emerge in both hemispheres. Simultaneously, an extended region of decreased values of N _e comes into existence and moves behind the Moon’s shadow. Regions with decreased (down to ～30%) and enhanced (up to ～50%) concentrations of H⁺ ions are detected in the global distribution of these ions.