An investigation of spherical blast waves and detonation waves in a rocket combustion chamber
Spherical blast waves and detonation waves in rocket combustion chamber
Bonnell, J. M.↗
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Liquid Jet Response to Detonation Waves in a Linear Detonation Combustor
The impact of periodic detonation wave impact on a liquid fuel jet is investigated in a linear detonation combustor. The linear detonation combustor operated with gaseous natural gas and oxygen generates sustained, self-excited detonation waves that propagate along its length at approximately 8 kHz, representing a wave propagation frequency in typical rocket rotating detonation engines. The effect of the detonation wave on the dynamic injection and break-up of a single diesel jet injected into the combustion chamber at varying injection pressures is evaluated with chemiluminescence, fuel planar laser induced fluorescence and Mie scattering measurements at 100 kHz. The detonation wave significantly impacts the liquid jet trajectory with its deflection in both windward and leeward direction as the adverse pressure gradient across it changes between wave passages. The maximum recovery height of the liquid jet is observed to be consistent across all operating conditions, and dependent on the detonation wave strength in the chamber.
propulsion↗
STANDING DETONATION WAVES
Standing detonation waves - hydrogen-oxygen ignition delay - vibrational relation effects - two-dimensional effects in gaseous detonations
IGNITION↗
Effect of Injection Dynamics on Detonation Wave Propagation in a Linear Detonation Combustor
Injector response to self-excited and sustained detonation wave propagation in an optically-accessible nonpremixed natural gas-oxygen linear detonation combustor is investigated. 100 kHz measurements of planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) of trace quantities of acetone injected into the fuel supply and simultaneous OH∗ chemiluminescence measurements were used to correlate the effect on injection dynamics on detonation wave structure and propagation. Measurements over a range of equivalence ratios (0.61-1.48) revealed wave propagation through regions of high fuel stratification in the axial and transverse direction of reactant injection. Consequently, the propagation of the detonation wave along the channel is through a flow-field with significant variation in fuel mass fraction, reactivity, and sound speeds. At lean conditions, wave propagation frequency is generally lower (∼6 kHz) resulting in longer time between wave passages for mixing and pre-heat resulting in steeper detonation wave-fronts anchored near the injector exit plane. Conversely, at rich equivalence ratios the wave frequency is higher (∼10 kHz) resulting in shorter intra-cycle period for reactant fill and mixing resulting waves lifted from the injection plane that are more compact. Higher chemiluminescence intensity in the post-wave region with deflagrative combustion is observed in these cases. Phase averaged representation of the acetone-PLIF measurements indicate that the fraction of time between wave passages available for reactant fill, mixing and pre-heat is consistent across all equivalence ratios.
Propulsion↗
Determination of detonation wave velocities.
Detonation wave velocity measurement using piezoelectric coaxial transducer pins and solid state pulse amplifiers
Bowen, J. R.↗
Experimental and theoretical analysis of carbon driven detonation waves in a heterogeneously premixed Rotating Detonation Engine
Coal dust explosions can be hazardous; however, they can also generate a significant rise in stagnation pressure if adequately harnessed. Rotating detonation combustors seek to take advantage of the stagnation pressure rise phenomenon in a more sustained and controlled manner via confinement to a physical annulus, leading to increased overall thermodynamic efficiency. Here this investigation presents an analysis of detonations fueled by Carbon Black, a solid particulate consisting of virtually pure carbon molecules and lean Hydrogen-Air mixtures. It is realized that with the addition of Carbon Black, an increase of lean mixture detonability and detonation velocities extending the operating limit over that of a pure hydrogen-air mixture is experienced. For all testing conditions, the total equivalence ratio is held at φ = 1, while the fuel mixture's carbon mass fraction is increased from 0 to 0.7 while the hydrogen is decreased. Detonation wave velocities are extracted from high-speed imaging through applying a Discrete Fourier Transform algorithm to determine changes to the wave speed as Carbon Black particles are introduced. As a result, due to the addition of Carbon Black as an auxiliary fuel source, detonations were formed instead of deflagrations in operating conditions where one would expect deflagrations at the same hydrogen-air equivalence ratios without Carbon Black addition. The detonation formation provides evidence that the coal particles are reacting within the detonation wave in a large enough capacity to support a detonation wave within the annulus. Furthermore, the wave speed is shown to increase with the additional of carbon particles. At a constant global equivalence ratio, the detonation wave velocities were found to decrease with hydrogen's incremental replacement with coal particles. Whereby, through a theoretical comparison of the heat of combustion as computed from the experimentally derived detonation wave velocities, a linear relationship of the two was shown to exist. Therefore, the heat of combustion has the potential to describe an operational limit to sustaining a detonation wave.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Numerical Study of the Detonation Wave Structure in a Linear Model Detonation Engine
Rotating detonation engines (RDE) are increasingly favored as a viable approach to gener- ating pressure gain combustion for both propulsion and power generation purposes. Practical designs involve discrete injection of fuel and air, which then partially mix to produce the reac- tive mixture that is processed by a continuously moving detonation wave within the detonation chamber. In this study, the wave structure of the detonation wave within a linearized RDE with fully premixed stoichiometric fuel and air injection is analyzed. The direct numerical simula- tion of the linearized model detonation engine (LMDE) is compared to experimental results, and wave behavior is correlated to the wave structure and flow turbulence. The flow properties and chemical composition of the gases across the detonation wave is studied to examine the reaction zone characteristics. This analysis is extended to equivalence ratios of φ = 0.8 and 1.2.
Prakash, Supraj↗
Analysis of the Detonation Wave Structure in a Linearized Rotating Detonation Engine
The rotating detonation engine is increasingly favored as a viable pressure gain combustion technology for both propulsion and power generation applications. Practical designs involve the discrete injection of fuel and air, which then partially mix to produce the reactive mixture that is processed by a continuously moving detonation wave within the detonation chamber. One of the fundamental challenges in the successful operation of rotating detonation engines is the design of a robust fuel-oxidizer injection system. To minimize pressure losses while ensuring efficient mixing that promotes stable detonation, the injection has to satisfy many different constraints. In this work, the impact of discrete injection on wave propagation is studied in an effort to understand the impact of fuel stratification on detonation stability. To this end, the structure of the detonation wave within a linearized rotating detonation engine with fully premixed hydrogen-air and hydrogen-oxygen injection at various equivalence ratios is analyzed. The direct numerical simulation of the linearized model detonation engine is compared with experimental results, and wave behavior is correlated to the wave structure and flow turbulence. As a result, the flow properties and chemical composition of the gases across the detonation wave are studied to examine the characteristics of the reaction zone.
42 ENGINEERING↗
Detonation Waves in High Explosives
A material at high temperature can react or decompose. For an energetic material, the reaction is exothermic and releases chemical energy that would further increase the temperature. Under some circumstances, when a reaction is triggered, such a reaction can propagate and the material rapidly releases a large amount of energy giving rise to an explosion. Examples of such materials are aerosols, suspensions of solid particles or liquid droplets in a gas; such as coal dust, grain dust and fuel-air explosions. Frequently, explosions are due to accidents. A spectacularly destructive example is the recent explosion of a large quantity of ammonium nitrate (thousands of tons) in Beirut, Lebanon (August 2020); see for example Beirut explosion. Ammonium nitrate is used as a fertilizer. It and the aerosols are not considered to be explosives due to the limited conditions for which an explosion can occur. An aerosol gets the oxidizer from the surrounding air. Burning requires diffusion of the oxidizer to the particle surface where the reaction occurs. A large density of small particles is required for a fast enough reaction to support an explosion. In contrast, an explosive is an energetic material with both fuel and oxidizer mixed on a molecular scale (either premixed gases or within molecules of a solid). This allows fast enough reactions over a wide range of conditions to support a self-propagating reactive wave known as a detonation wave. A detonation wave can be controlled and an explosive used for useful purposes such as in mining, construction, demolition, explosive welding, argon flash lamp, pulsed power using a magnetic flux generator [see also Goforth et al., 2015], jet cutter with shaped charge, explosive art, and generating conditions to study the response of materials at high strain rates and high pressures [see for example, Marsh, 1980]. Explosives are also used in conventional munitions and nuclear weapons. The focus of this book is on the theory and phenomenology of solid high explosives (HEs); in particular, plastic-bonded explosives (PBXs). Some aspects of detonation wave theory are needed to interpret explosive data. Hence, the theory is presented before the detonation wave phenomenology. A familiarity with fluid flow, specifically the notion of shock waves and the shock loci are assumed. In the remainder of this chapter we give a brief overview on the basic properties of detonation waves and PBXs.
36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
The Effect of Fuel Stratification on the Detonation Wave Structure
Rotating detonation engines are a promising technology for stationary and mobile power generation applications. A form of pressure gain combustion, detonation engines allow for the recovery of the gas pressure lost in traditional constant pressure combustion and the fuel and oxidizer injection schemes. The rotating detonation engine annulus features a complex distribution of fuel-oxidizer due to the turbulent mixing of the fuel and oxidizer streams, with regions of varying equivalence ratio arranged in irregular patches within the domain. The primary objective of this work is to gain an understanding of the interaction between the detonation wave and the fuel-oxidizer mixture inhomogeneity. Past studies have found that inhomogeneities result in irregular detonation cell structures and affect wave propagation. To this end, the influence of a stratified fuel-oxidizer mixture on the behavior and structure of the detonation wave is simulated through a direct numerical simulation approach. Three different fuel-oxidizer stratification length scales are evaluated, and their effects on the properties of the detonation wave are discussed.
Prakash, Supraj↗
The Use of Steady and Unsteady Detonation Waves for Propulsion Systems
Detonation wave enhanced supersonic combustors such as the Oblique Detonation Wave Engine (ODWE) are attractive propulsion concepts for hypersonic flight. These engines utilize detonation waves to enhance fuel-air mixing and combustion. The benefits of wave combustion systems include shorter and lighter engines which require less cooling and generate lower internal drag. These features allow air-breathing operation at higher Mach numbers than the diffusive burning scramjet delaying the need for rocket engine augmentation. A comprehensive vehicle synthesis code has predicted the aerodynamic characteristics and structural size and weight of a typical single-stage-to-orbit vehicle using an ODWE. Other studies have focused on the use of unsteady or pulsed detonation waves. For low speed applications, pulsed detonation engines (PDE) have advantages in low weight and higher efficiency than turbojets. At hypersonic speeds, the pulsed detonations can be used in conjunction with a scramjet type engine to enhance mixing and provide thrust augmentation.
Adelman, Henry G.↗
Detonation Wave Dynamics in a Rotating Detonation Engine
Rotating detonation engines have complex unsteady flow fields that have been observed to give rise to multiple wave systems beyond the main detonation wave they are intended to produce. In this work we have developed a new analysis technique we refer to Circuit Wave Analysis to identify and describe the system of waves associated with the reaction fronts that exist in the RDE from time-resolved, high-speed end-view chemiluminescence movies of the reaction fronts. For each wave system, we then extract the speed of the wave, its direction and strength (from a measure of spectral power). Through this approach we have determined that under a range of operating conditions RDE flow fields are characterized by three separate wave systems: the main detonation wave and two secondary wave systems, which, based on their relationship relative to the main detonation wave, we refer to as the counter rotating fast wave and counter rotating slow wave pair, respectively. The properties of all three waves vary with both operation condition (air mass flow rate and equivalence ratio) and the configuration of the air inlet and fuel injector. The controlling mechanisms behind the secondary wave systems are not currently known. However, the impact that secondary waves have on some of the detonation properties can be observed in select cases. For example, the presence of a secondary wave has been observed to correspond with a reduction in detonation wave speed.
Chacon, Fabian↗
OPTICAL STUDIES OF THE STRUCTURE OF GASEOUS DETONATION WAVES
Structure of detonation waves in hydrogen-oxygen- argon mixtures - optical reflectivity studies
OPTICAL REFLECTIVITY↗
DETERMINATION OF THE DETONATION WAVE STRUCTURE
Laminar detonation wave structure in ozone for three models - coupled wave, von neuman-doring- zeldovich model, and decoupled wave
DETONATION WAVE↗
Limit Cycle Oscillating Detonation Wave Behavior Analysis Within a Rotating Detonation Engine
Limit cycle oscillation (LCO) detonation wave behaviors are presented and analyzed for test times exceeding 20 s in a water-cooled rotating detonation engine (RDE). LCO detonation waves exhibit cyclic acceleration and deceleration, resulting in oscillating wave spacing at unique process conditions. In previous RDE studies, similar behaviors have been studied as microsecond-scale instabilities leading to ascending or descending modal transitions. In the current work, however, LCO waves are considered a persistent wave mode, occupying unique portions of the operational envelope adjacent to those of their equally spaced counterparts. These occurrences of LCO waves are repeatable, enduring behaviors. A method to generate shifted contour surfaces specifically intended to extract and analyze wave spacing variation through time, termed limit cycle oscillation visualization (LCOV) surfaces, is presented. LCOV surfaces transform data into the reference frame of a primary traveling wave and are used to analyze quasi-steady, short-timescale, and transitional LCO modes. Results are leveraged to understand the relationship between fill height, wave strength, local wave acceleration, and subsequent LCO wave spacing for individual wave sets. In conclusion, quasi-steady LCO waves display wave spacing oscillations between equal spacing values associated with ±1 wave across runs exceeding 18 s.
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗
Approach of a planar detonation to a steady CJ detonation wave
Generating a planar steady detonation wave in a high explosive is important for accurately measuring key parameters such as the CJ detonation state and the reaction-zone width. A detonation wave can be promptly shock initiated in the TATB based explosive PBX 9502 due to a fast hotspot reaction. However, a slow carbon clustering reaction causes the detonation wave to have a slow approach to steady state. Here we study the approach of the reaction zone of a planar detonation to the steady ZND profile of an underdriven detonation wave. For PBX 9502 simulations were run with the SURFplus reactive burn model. For comparison, simulations were also run with the HMX based PBX 9501. The SURF reactive model is used for PBX 9501 since it has only a fast hotspot reaction.
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
Effect of Heterogeneities on the Reaction-zone of a Propagating Detonation Wave
Reactive burn models for propagating detonation waves in an explosive are based on the ZND (Zel'dovich-Von Neumann-Doring) theory. A key property of the ZND theory, which leads to self-sustaining detonation waves, is a sonic point relative to the front in the reaction zone. Moreover, burn models assume the explosive is a homogeneous material. This assumption is used for plastic-bonded explosives, even though they are heterogeneous materials. The heterogeneities are accounted for only with an empirical burn rate. Furthermore, the reaction-zone width can be less than the length scale of heterogeneities. This raises the question of the effect of heterogeneities on the reaction zone. In particular, whether the reaction zone can be steady and have a well defined sonic point. To examine this question we focus on PBX 9501 since there is data on the grain-binder heterogeneities and on the reaction-zone velocity time history of a steady planar detonation wave. Using pseudo-mesoscale 1-D simulations, we examine the effect of a detonation wave transversing explosive and binder segments of random length. The simulations show that the reaction zone is quasi-steady with only short wavelength small amplitude variations in the detonation wave pressure and speed. The main effect of the heterogeneities is to introduce noise in the pressure and velocity fields that propagates into the Taylor wave behind the detonation. This is consistent with the scatter in the reaction-zone measurements for PBX 9501.
42 ENGINEERING↗
High order hybrid numerical simulations of two dimensional detonation waves
In order to study multi-dimensional unstable detonation waves, a high order numerical scheme suitable for calculating the detailed transverse wave structures of multidimensional detonation waves was developed. The numerical algorithm uses a multi-domain approach so different numerical techniques can be applied for different components of detonation waves. The detonation waves are assumed to undergo an irreversible, unimolecular reaction A yields B. Several cases of unstable two dimensional detonation waves are simulated and detailed transverse wave interactions are documented. The numerical results show the importance of resolving the detonation front without excessive numerical viscosity in order to obtain the correct cellular patterns.
Cai, Wei↗