Multi-frame visualization for detonation wave diffraction

When a detonation wave emerges from a tube into unconfined space filled with a gas mixture, detonation wave diffraction occurs due to abrupt changes in the cross-sectional area. In the present study, we focused on the local explosion in reinitiation and propagation of a transverse detonation wave by performing comprehensive and direct observation with high time resolution visualization in a two-dimensional rectangular channel. Using the visualization methods of shadowgraph and multi-frame, short-time, open-shutter photography, we determined where the wall reflection point is generated, and also determined where the bright point is originated by the local explosion, and investigated the effects of the deviation angle and initial pressure of the gas mixture. We found that the reinitiation of detonation had two modes that were determined by the deviation angle of the channel. If the deviation angle was less than or equal to 30\(^{\circ }\), the local explosion of reinitiation might occur in the vicinity of the channel wall, and if the deviation angle was greater than or equal to 60\(^{\circ }\), the local explosion might originate on the upper side of the tube exit. With a deviation angle greater than 60\(^{\circ }\), the position of the wall reflection point depended on the cell width, so the radial distance of the wall reflection point from the apex of the tube exit was about 12 times the cell width. Similarly, the bright point (local explosion point) was located a distance of about 11 times the cell width from the apex of the tube exit, with a circumferential angle of 48\(^{\circ }\).     

Shear-layer instability in the Mach reflection of shock waves

The Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI) is an instability that takes the form of repeating wave-like structures which forms on a shear layer where two adjacent fluids are moving at a relative velocity to one another. Such a shear layer forms in the Mach reflection of shock waves. This work focuses on experimentally visualising the presence of the KHI in Mach reflection as well as its evolution. Experimentation was performed at shock Mach numbers of 1.34, 1.46 and 1.61. Plane test pieces and parabolic profiled pieces followed by a plane section having wedge angles of 30 \(^\circ \) and 38 \(^\circ \) were tested. Flow field visualisation was performed with a schlieren optical system. The KHI was best visualised with the camera-side knife edge perpendicular to the shear layer (i.e. the axis of sensitivity along the length of the shear layer). The structure and growth of the instability were readily identified. The KHI forms more readily with increasing Mach number and wedge angle. Second-order Euler, and Navier–Stokes numerical simulations of the flow field were also conducted. It was found that the Euler and laminar Navier–Stokes solvers achieved very similar results, both producing the KHI, but at a much less developed state than the experimental cases. The k \(-\epsilon \) solver, however, did not produce the instability.     

Non-uniqueness of solutions in asymptotically self-similar shock reflections

The present study addresses the self-similar problem of unsteady shock reflection on an inclined wedge. The start-up conditions are studied by modifying the wedge corner and allowing for a finite radius of curvature. It is found that the type of shock reflection observed far from the corner, namely regular or Mach reflection, depends intimately on the start-up condition, as the flow “remembers” how it was started. Substantial differences were found. For example, the type of shock reflection for an incident shock Mach number $M=6.6$ and an isentropic exponent $\gamma =1.2$ changes from regular to Mach reflection between $44^\circ $ and $45^\circ $ when a straight wedge tip is used, while the transition for an initially curved wedge occurs between $57^\circ $ and $58^\circ $ .     

Robust mixed H_2 /H_\infty active control for offshore steel jacket platform

This paper presents a robust mixed \(H_2 /H_\infty \) control method for wave-excited offshore jacket platforms. Its objective was to design a controller that minimizes the upper bound of the \(H_2 \) performance measure on platform dynamics satisfying some \(H_\infty \) norm bound constraint simultaneously. Based on mixed \(H_2 /H_\infty \) control theory and linear matrix inequality techniques, a novel approach to stabilize offshore platform vibration with constrained \(H_2 /H_\infty \) performances is proposed. Uncertainties of the wave excitation are considered in dynamic performance analysis of offshore platforms. A reduced mode offshore platform structure under wave excitation is analyzed, and simulations are used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed approach. Compared with existing \(H_\infty \) control methods, the proposed approach makes a significant improvement for dynamic performances of offshore platforms under random wave excitation.     

Microsize and initial pressure effects on shock wave propagation in a tube

In this paper, the shock wave propagation in a channel with a micrometric hydraulic diameter is numerically simulated for an initial Mach number \(M_{s}=2.61\) . The obtained values of the Mach number along the tube are compared to experimental and numerical data given in the literature. The microscale effects on the flow behavior, such as shock wave attenuation and pressure increase behind the shock wave, are amplified by further reducing the scaling ratio (or Reynolds number) of the flow. This reduction is obtained by either decreasing the hydraulic diameter \(D_\mathrm{H}\) or the initial driven gas pressure \(P_1\) . Under these conditions, the flow behavior changes drastically.     

A fast algorithm to calculate the critical coupling strength for synchronization in a chain of Kuramoto oscillators

Synchronization in a one-dimensional chain of Kuramoto oscillators with periodic boundary conditions is studied. An algorithm to rapidly calculate the critical coupling strength \(K_c\) for complete frequency synchronization is presented according to the mathematical constraint conditions and the periodic boundary conditions. By this new algorithm, we have checked the relation between \(\langle K_c\rangle \) and \(N\) , which is \(\langle K_c\rangle \sim \sqrt{N}\) , not only for small \(N\) , but also for large \(N\) . We also investigate the heavy-tailed distribution of \(K_c\) for random intrinsic frequencies, which is obtained by showing that the synchronization problem is equivalent to a discretization of Brownian motion. This theoretical result was checked by generating a large sample of \(K_c\) for large \(N\) from our algorithm to get the empirical density of \(K_c\) . Finally, we derive the permutation for the maximum coupling strength and its exact expression, which grows linearly with \(N\) and would provide the theoretical support for engineering applications.     

Stable disarrangement phases of elastic aggregates: a setting for the emergence of no-tension materials with non-linear response in compression

A recent field theory of elastic bodies undergoing non-smooth submacroscopic geometrical changes (disarrangements) provides a setting in which, for a given homogeneous macroscopic deformation \(F\) of the body, there are typically a number of different states \(G\) of smooth, submacroscopic deformation (disarrangement phases) available to the body. A tensorial consistency relation and the inequality \(\det G\le \det F\) that guarantees that \(F\) accommodates \(G\) determine the totality of disarrangement phases \(G\) corresponding to \(F\) , and it is natural to seek for a given \(F\) those disarrangement phases that minimize the Helmholtz free energy (stable disarrangement phases). We introduce these concepts in the particular context of continuous bodies comprised of many small elastic bodies (elastic aggregates) and in the context where disarrangements do not contribute to the Helmholtz free energy (purely dissipative disarrangements). In this setting, the Helmholtz free energy response \(G\longmapsto \varPsi (G)\) of the pieces of the aggregate determines the totality of disarrangement phases corresponding to \(F\) , which necessarily includes the phase \(G=F\) (compact phase) in which every piece of the aggregate undergoes the given macroscopic deformation \(F\) . When the response function \(\varPsi \) is isotropic and smooth, and when \(\varPsi \) possesses standard semiconvexity and growth properties, the body also admits phases of the form \(G=\zeta _{\min }R\) (loose phases) with \(R\) an arbitrary rotation, provided that \(\zeta _{\min }R \) satisfies the accommodation inequality \(\zeta _{\min }^{3}\le \det F\) . Loose phases, when available, achieve the global minimum \(\varPsi (\zeta _{\min }R)\) of the free energy and consequently are stable and stress-free. When \( \varPsi (G)\) has the specific form \(\varPsi _{\alpha \beta }(G)=(\alpha /2)(\det G)^{-2}+(\beta /2)tr(GG^{T})\) , with \(\alpha \) , \(\beta \) given elastic constants, we determine all of the disarrangement phases corresponding to \(F\) . These include not only the compact and loose phases, but also disarrangement phases \(G\) in which the stress \(D\varPsi (G)\) is uniaxial or planar. Our main result (“stability implies no-tension”) is the assertion that every stable disarrangement phase for \(\varPsi _{\alpha \beta }\) cannot support tensile tractions, and our treatment of elastic aggregates thus provides a natural setting for the emergence of no-tension materials whose response in compression is non-linear. Existing treatments of no-tension materials assume at the outset that the body cannot support tension and that the response in compression is linear.     

On the neutralization of bacterial spores in post-detonation flows

In multiple operational scenarios, explosive charges are used to neutralize confined or unconfined stores of bacterial spores. The spore destruction is achieved by post-detonation combustion and mixing of hot detonation product gases with the ambient flow and spore clouds. In this work, blast wave interaction with bacterial spore clouds and the effect of post-detonation combustion on spore neutralization are investigated using numerical simulations. Spherical explosive charges (radius, \(R_\mathrm{C}\) = 5.9 cm) comprising of nitromethane are modeled in the vicinity of a spore cloud, and the spore kill in the post-detonation flow is quantified. The effect of the mass of the spores and the initial distance, \(d^0\) , of the spore cloud from the explosive charge on the percentage of spores neutralized is investigated. When the spores are initially placed within a distance of 3.0 \(R_\mathrm{C}\) , within 0.1 ms after detonation of the charge, all the spores are neutralized by the blast wave and the hot detonation product gases. In contrast, almost all the spores survived the explosion when \(d^0\) is greater than 8.0 \(R_\mathrm{C}\) . The percentage of intact spores varied from 0 to 100 for 3.0 \(R_\mathrm{C}\) \( 8.0 \(R_\mathrm{C}\) with spore neutralization dependent on time spent by the spores in the post-detonation mixing/combustion zone.     

Some Aspects of Stability for Semigroup Actions and Control Systems

The present paper introduces both the notions of Lagrange and Poisson stabilities for semigroup actions. Let \(S\) be a semigroup acting on a topological space \(X\) with mapping \(\sigma :S\times X\rightarrow X\) , and let \(\mathcal {F}\) be a family of subsets of \(S\) . For \(x\in X\) the motion \(\sigma _{x}:S\rightarrow X\) is said to be forward Lagrange stable if the orbit \(Sx\) has compact closure in \(X\) . The point \(x\) is forward \(\mathcal {F}\) -Poisson stable if and only if it belongs to the limit set \(\omega \left( x,\mathcal {F}\right) \) . The concept of prolongational limit set is also introduced and used to describe nonwandering points. It is shown that a point \(x\) is \( \mathcal {F}\) -nonwandering if and only if \(x\) lies in its forward \(\mathcal {F} \) -prolongational limit set \(J\left( x,\mathcal {F}\right) \) . The paper contains applications to control systems.     

Standard decomposition of expansive ergodically supported dynamics

In this work, we introduce the notion of weak quasigroups, which are quasigroup operations defined almost everywhere on some set. Then, we prove that the topological entropy and the ergodic period of an invertible expansive ergodically supported dynamical system \((X,T)\) with the shadowing property establish a sufficient criterion for the existence of quasigroup operations defined almost everywhere outside of universally null sets and for which \(T\) is an automorphism. Furthermore, we find a decomposition of the dynamics of \(T\) in terms of \(T\) -invariant weak topological subquasigroups.     

Integrability with symbolic computation on the Bogoyavlensky–Konoplechenko model: Bell-polynomial manipulation,bilinear representation,and Wronskian solution

With symbolic computation, this paper investigates some integrable properties of a two-dimensional generalization of the Korteweg-de Vries equation, i.e., the Bogoyavlensky–Konoplechenko model, which can govern the interaction of a Riemann wave propagating along the \(y\) -axis and a long wave propagating along the \(x\) -axis. Within the framework of Bell-polynomial manipulations, Bell-polynomial expressions are firstly given, which then are cast into bilinear forms. The \(N\) -soliton solutions in the form of an \(N\) th-order polynomial in the \(N\) exponentials and in terms of the Wronskian determinant are, respectively, constructed with the Hirota bilinear method and Wronskian technique. Bilinear Bäcklund transformation is also derived with the achievement of a family of explicit solutions.     

Micro-blast waves using detonation transmission tubing

Micro-blast waves emerging from the open end of a detonation transmission tube were experimentally visualized in this study. A commercially available detonation transmission tube was used (Nonel tube, M/s Dyno Nobel, Sweden), which is a small diameter tube coated with a thin layer of explosive mixture (HMX $+$ traces of Al) on its inner side. The typical explosive loading for this tube is of the order of 18 mg/m of tube length. The blast wave was visualized using a high speed digital camera (frame rate 1 MHz) to acquire time-resolved schlieren images of the resulting flow field. The visualization studies were complemented by computational fluid dynamic simulations. An analysis of the schlieren images showed that although the blast wave appears to be spherical, it propagates faster along the tube axis than along a direction perpendicular to the tube axis. Additionally, CFD analysis revealed the presence of a barrel shock and Mach disc, showing structures that are typical of an underexpanded jet. A theory in use for centered large–scale explosions of intermediate strength $(10\, < \Delta {p}/{p}_0 \lesssim \, 0.02)$ gave good agreement with the blast trajectory along the tube axis. The energy of these micro-blast waves was found to be $1.25 \pm 0.94$ J and the average TNT equivalent was found to be $0.3$ . The repeatability in generating these micro-blast waves using the Nonel tube was very good $(\pm 2~\%)$ and this opens up the possibility of using this device for studying some of the phenomena associated with muzzle blasts in the near future.     

Effect of an impinging shock wave on a partially opened door

The behavior of an aluminum door hanging at the exit of an open shock tube at different angles, from 5 $^\circ $ to 85 $^\circ $ , and thereby providing partially open space for the exiting flow, was investigated experimentally. Experiments were conducted with an incident shock wave Mach number of $M_\mathrm{is}=1.1$ impinging on the partially opened door. Both pressure measurements in the vicinity of the door, on its center and inside the shock tube, and schlieren visualization were undertaken for studying the door movement and its maximum opening angle relative to its initial position. It was found that for an initial opening angle smaller than 25 $^\circ $ the door opened completely while for larger angles its motion is marginal. In addition, for an initial door opening angle of about 10 $^\circ $ the lowest pressures were recorded inside the shock tube behind the evolving waves after exiting of the incident shock wave. The present experimental results may be useful to numerical studies of fluid–structure interactions, e.g., in designing safety valves in jet engines. Such a device is needed for preventing rupture in the case when a sudden overpressure pulse is generated inside the aircraft engine compartment.     

Bifurcations of a creeping air–water flow in a conical container

This numerical study describes the eddy emergence and transformations in a slow steady axisymmetric air–water flow, driven by a rotating top disk in a vertical conical container. As water height \(H_{\mathrm{w}}\) and cone half-angle \(\beta \) vary, numerous flow metamorphoses occur. They are investigated for \(\beta =30^{\circ }, 45^{\circ }\), and \(60^{\circ }\). For small \(H_{\mathrm{w}}\), the air flow is multi-cellular with clockwise meridional circulation near the disk. The air flow becomes one cellular as \(H_{\mathrm{w}}\) exceeds a threshold depending on \(\beta \). For all \(\beta \), the water flow has an unbounded number of eddies whose size and strength diminish as the cone apex is approached. As the water level becomes close to the disk, the outmost water eddy with clockwise meridional circulation expands, reaches the interface, and induces a thin layer with anticlockwise circulation in the air. Then this layer expands and occupies the entire air domain. The physical reasons for the flow transformations are provided. The results are of fundamental interest and can be relevant for aerial bioreactors.     

Numerical simulation of Mach reflection of cellular detonations

The Mach reflection of cellular detonation waves on a wedge is investigated numerically in an attempt to elucidate the effect of cellular instabilities on Mach reflection, the dependence of self-similarity on the thickness of a detonation wave, and the initial development of the Mach stem near the wedge apex. A two-step chain-branching reaction model is used to give a thermally neutral induction zone followed by a chemical reaction zone for the detonation wave. A sufficiently large distance of travel of the Mach stem is computed to observe the asymptotic behavior in the far field. Depending on the scale at which the Mach reflection process occurs, it is found that the Mach reflection of a cellular detonation behaves essentially in the same way as a planar ZND detonation wave. The cellular instabilities, however, cause the triple-point trajectory to fluctuate. The fluctuations are due to interactions of the triple point of the Mach stem with the transverse waves of cellular instabilities. In the vicinity of the wedge apex, the Mach reflection is found to be self-similar and corresponds to that of a shock wave of the same strength, since the Mach stem is highly overdriven initially. In the far field, the triple-point trajectory approaches a straight line, indicating that the Mach reflection becomes self-similar asymptotically. The distance of the approach to self-similarity is found to decrease rapidly with decreasing thickness of the detonation front.     

Comparative characteristics of strong shock and detonation waves in bubble media by an electrical wire explosion

Strong shock and detonation waves in inert and chemically active bubble media, which are generated by a wire explosion initiated by a capacitor with a stored energy $W_0 =12.3$ –1,600 J, is experimentally studied. The measurements are performed near the wire and far from the wire in a vertical shock tube 4.5 m long with a volume fraction of the gas in the medium $\beta _0 =1$ –4 %. It is shown that in inert bubble medium, a short intensely decaying shock wave (SW) with intense pressure oscillations is formed in the vicinity of wire explosion point; near the explosion point at $\beta _0 \le 2$  % the SW propagates with the velocity of sound in a liquid. In chemically active bubble medium, an unsteady detonation wave generated by a wire explosion is formed. The pressure amplitude and the velocity of this wave are greater and the length is smaller than those of SW in an inert bubble medium in the same range of explosion energy. It is found that in the interval of low energy explosion from ${\sim }12$ to 64 J, the formation of the bubble detonation wave occurs faster than that at high energies ( $3\times 10^{2}$ – $10^{3}$  J).     

On simulation of a bistable system with fractional damping in the presence of stochastic coherence resonance

A bistable dynamical system with the Duffing potential, fractional damping, and random excitation has been modelled. To excite the system, we used a stochastic force defined by Wiener random process of Gaussian distribution. As expected, stochastic resonance appeared for sufficiently high noise intensity. We estimated the critical value of the noise level as a function of derivative order \(q\) . For smaller order \(q\) , damping enhancement was reported.     

Heterogeneous Alkane Reactions over Nanoporous Catalysts

Pt-USY-712 (Si/Al = 6) and three SBA-15 catalysts (metal-loaded with 1 wt% Pt, 1 wt% Ni or 0.5 wt% Pt and 0.5 wt% Ni) were prepared and characterised using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), N \(_{2}\) adsorption porosimetry / BET and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The catalysts were then tested in the hydroisomerisation and hydrocracking of \(n\) -heptane using a micro-reactor at atmospheric pressure, and the products were analysed by GC-FID. Reaction temperatures ranged from 250– \(400\,\,^{\circ }\hbox {C}\) while the W/F values of \(n\hbox {-C}_{7}\) varied from 224.70–550.57 kg \(\hbox {mol}^{-1}\) . The coke content of each catalyst was measured using thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA). The catalytic activity was highest on Pt-USY-712 at the lowest reaction temperatures due to (a) the presence of strong Brønsted acids sites on the zeolite and (b) the smaller and more highly dispersed metal clusters on Pt-USY-712, relative to Pt-SBA-15. The activity was higher on the bimetallic Pt/Ni-SBA-15 than on mono-metallic Pt-SBA-15 as the co-impregnation of Ni with Pt enhanced the distribution of the metal clusters on the catalyst and resulted in improved surface area for reaction. The Pt-SBA-15 and Pt/Ni-SBA-15 catalysts both had the lowest and approximately equal coke percentages with 0.116 and 0.119 wt%, respectively.     

Fractional models of anomalous relaxation based on the Kilbas and Saigo function

We revisit the Kilbas and Saigo functions of the Mittag-Leffler type of a real variable \(t\) , with two independent real order-parameters. These functions, subjected to the requirement to be completely monotone for \(t>0\) , can provide suitable models for the responses and for the corresponding spectral distributions in anomalous (non–Debye) relaxation processes, found e.g. in dielectrics. Our analysis includes as particular cases the classical models referred to as Cole–Cole (the one-parameter Mittag-Leffler function) and to as Kohlrausch (the stretched exponential function). After some remarks on the Kilbas and Saigo functions, we discuss a class of fractional differential equations of order \(\alpha \in (0,1]\) with a characteristic coefficient varying in time according to a power law of exponent \(\beta \) , whose solutions will be presented in terms of these functions. We show 2D plots of the solutions and, for a few of them, the corresponding spectral distributions, keeping fixed one of the two order-parameters. The numerical results confirm the complete monotonicity of the solutions via the non-negativity of the spectral distributions, provided that the parameters satisfy the additional condition \(0<\alpha +\beta \le 1\) , assumed by us.     

On the Fiber Stretch in Shearing Deformations of Fibrous Soft Materials

The behavior of the fiber stretch in simple shear of soft materials fiber-reinforced with a single family of oriented parallel fibers is examined. The analysis is purely kinematical and the results are valid for both compressible and incompressible materials. It is shown that for a given amount of shear, for all fiber orientation angles in the range \(0 < \theta < \pi /4\), the fiber stretch increases with increasing \(\theta\) whereas in the range \(\pi /4 < \theta < \pi /2\), this is no longer the case and there is a particular fiber orientation for which the fiber stretch is a maximum. For a particular amount of shear corresponding to a special angle of shear (a “magic” angle of \(35.26^{\circ}\)), the fiber-orientation angle at which the fiber stretch is a maximum is its geometric complement namely a magic angle of \(54.74^{\circ}\). The results are also valid for torsion of a circular cylinder reinforced with a single family of helically wound fibers.