Effect of injection dynamics on detonation wave propagation in a linear detonation combustor

The effect of reactant injection and mixing on detonation wave propagation is studied in a self-excited, optically-accessible linear detonation combustor operated with natural gas and oxygen. Fuel injection and mixing processes are captured with 100 kHz planar laser induced fluorescence (PLIF) measurements of acetone tracer injected into the fuel stream. Measurements are acquired at multiple orthogonal planes downstream of the reactant injection site to investigate the three-dimensional mixing field in the chamber. The fuel distribution field is correlated with simultaneously acquired OH${}^{*}$ chemiluminescence measurements that provide a qualitative indication of heat release in the combustor. These measurements are used to provide quantitative information of the fuel injector recovery process and its impact on detonation wave structure across a range of equivalence ratios. While significant differences in the detonation wavefront are observed with change in equivalence ratio, the characterization of the fuel refill process into the chamber after the passage of the detonation wave highlights some key generalizable features. The time available for fuel recovery is consistently between 12 – 19% of the detonation wave period across an equivalence ratio range of 0.83 – 1.48. A linear correlation between injector recovery times and the ratio of the average detonation wave pressure amplitude relative to the pressure drop across the fuel injector is observed. Instantaneous and phase-averaged measurements of acetone-PLIF with the time-coincident OH${}^{*}$ chemiluminescence images provide qualitative information of wave structure and injection dynamics along with quantification of fuel injector recovery, a key metric that drives combustor operation and performance. These measurements significantly enhance the ability to obtain detailed information on the intra- and inter-cycle spatiotemporal evolution of the reactant refill process and its coupled effects on the detonation wave structure and propagation.     

Shock wave and detonation propagation through U-bend tubes

The objective of the research outlined in this paper is to provide experimental and computational data on initiation, propagation, and stability of gaseous fuel–air detonations in tubes with U-bends implying their use for design optimization of pulse detonation engines (PDEs). The experimental results with the U-bends of two curvatures indicate that, on the one hand, the U-bend of the tube promotes the shock-induced detonation initiation. On the other hand, the detonation wave propagating through the U-bend is subjected to complete decay or temporary attenuation followed by the complete recovery in the straight tube section downstream from the U-bend. Numerical simulation of the process reveals some salient features of transient phenomena in U-tubes.     

Calibration of the Pseudo-Reaction-Zone model for detonation wave propagation

An approach for the calibration of an advanced programmed burn (PB) model for detonation performance calculations in high explosive systems is detailed. Programmed burn methods split the detonation performance calculation into two components: timing and energy release. For the timing, the PB model uses a Detonation Shock Dynamics (DSD) surface propagation model, where the normal surface speed is a function of local surface curvature. For the energy release calculation and subsequent hydrodynamic flow evolution, a Pseudo-Reaction-Zone (PRZ) model is used. The PRZ model is similar to a reactive burn model in that it converts reactants into products at a finite rate, but it has a reaction rate dependent on the normal surface speed derived from the DSD calculation. The PRZ reaction rate parameters must be calibrated in such a way that the rate of energy release due to reaction in multi-dimensional geometries is consistent with the timing calculation provided by the DSD model. Our strategy for achieving this is to run the PRZ model in a detonation shock-attached frame in a compliant 2D planar slab geometry in an equivalent way to a reactive burn model, from which we can generate detonation front shapes and detonation phase speed variations with slab thickness. In this case, the D _n field used by the PRZ model is then simply the normal detonation shock speed rather than the DSD surface normal speed. The PRZ rate parameters are then iterated on to match the equivalent surface front shapes and surface phase speed variations with slab thickness derived from the target DSD model. For the purposes of this paper, the target DSD model is fitted to the performance properties of an idealised condensed-phase reactive burn model, which allows us to compare the detonation structure of the calibrated PRZ model to that of the originating idealised-condensed phase model.     

On continuum mixture theories for shear wave propagation in trilaminated wave guides

Recently developed continuum mixture theories are extended to study the propagation of horizontally polarized shear waves in a trilaminated wave guide. A specific composite model is considered which resembles the case in which one of the materials acts as a bonding agent for the other two materials. Dispersion relations are derived and compared with exact predictions. Good correlation is shown for significant frequency ranges, especially for the lowest two modes.     

涡轮导向器对旋转爆轰波传播特性影响的实验研究

为了研究涡轮导向器对旋转爆轰波传播特性的影响,以氢气为燃料,空气为氧化剂,在不同当量比下开展了实验研究.基于高频压力传感器及静态压力传感器的信号,详细分析了带涡轮导向器的旋转爆轰燃烧室的工作模式以及涡轮导向器对非均匀不稳定爆轰产物的影响.实验结果表明:在当量比较低时,爆轰燃烧室以快速爆燃模式工作;逐渐增大当量比,爆轰燃烧室开始以不稳定旋转爆轰模式工作;继续增大当量比,爆轰燃烧室以稳定旋转爆轰模式工作,且旋转爆轰波的传播速度和稳定性均随当量比的增大逐渐提高.爆轰波下游的斜激波与涡轮导向器相互作用,涡轮导向器对压力振荡的幅值具有明显的抑制作用,但对压力振荡频率的影响较小.随着当量比的增大,涡轮导向器上下游的静压均同时增大,经过涡轮导向器的作用,涡轮下游静压明显降低.     

Acoustic wave propagation in a binary mixture of inviscid fluids

Linearized equations governing the thermo-mechanical behaviour of a binary mixture of inviscid fluids are derived. Restrictions which are sufficient for the equations to have a unique solution are imposed on some of the material constants. The propagation of plane harmonic waves of small amplitude in the mixture is examined and the inequalities are shown to ensure a physically reasonable response. As an application of the theory properties of acoustic waves in a binary mixture of ideal gases are evaluated numerically.     

Combustion wave propagation and detonation initiation in the vicinity of closed-tube end walls

There are not many studies on DDT with no obstacles and the initiation of DDT near the end of a closed tube. Therefore in the present study we experimentally investigate the mechanism of the combustion wave transition to a detonation wave when there are no obstacles. In particular, we show that a local explosion near the tube wall is necessary for the initiation of a detonation. Parameters that we varied are the wall configuration, distance between the ignition point and the wall, and initial filling pressure. The combustion waves and the compression waves are visualized using the Schlieren optical system. From the results, we found it is necessary for the combustion wave to reach four walls so that the detonation could be initiated by the local explosion. In the conditions of the present experiment, we exhibited that the local explosion did not occur in the vicinity of a single wall and four orthogonal walls; instead, the local explosion occurred in a situation with five orthogonal walls. The time of the local explosion and the detonation initiation is 2.6 ± 1.1 and 2.0 ± 0.1 times the characteristic time for the combustion wave to propagate hemispherically from an ignitor and reach the four walls.     

The influence of multi-layer confinement on detonation propagation in condensed-phase explosives

We examine, via multi-material simulation in a two-dimensional planar geometry, the effects on steady detonation propagation of the presence of a low-density intermediate layer between a condensed-phase high explosive (HE) and a high-density metallic confiner of finite thickness. Such elastomer intermediate layers are often added to eliminate air-gaps and the associated jetting effects that can arise due to machining imprecisions, or to prevent HE cracking due to environmental changes. Without an intermediate layer, the flow structure of a steady detonation/metal confiner interaction is well understood. In particular, there is no reflected wave passed into the HE due to the metal confinement. With the elastomer layer present, we find that, as the intermediate layer width increases, a complex wave interaction and communication path develops between the HE, intermediate, and metal layers. For thin intermediate layers, a shock-driven subsonic flow develops in the intermediate layer, passing information from the metal layer to the HE, with the detonation speed decreasing as the intermediate layer width increases. For wider intermediate layers, a Mach stem configuration develops in the intermediate layer, forcing a shock to be reflected into the HE. Simultaneously, a localized Prandtl-Meyer fan emerges from the intersection of the detonation shock with the HE-intermediate layer material interface. These HE structures are shown to have a substantial effect on the structure of the detonation driving zone. The Prandtl-Meyer fan becomes the dominant structure for critically large intermediate layer widths, wherein the presence of the metal layer does not affect the detonation propagation. We examine the detonation propagation speed and reaction and driving zone structure as a function of varying intermediate layer width. Two confinement metals are examined, along with two high explosive and three metal layer widths.     

A mixture theory for wave propagation in a laminated medium with debonding

In this paper wave propagation in the direction of the layering of a bi-laminated medium with the presence of imperfect bonding at the interfaces is investigated. The debonding mechanism is represented by a model which allows imperfect bonding both in the normal and tangential directions. A mixture theory is formulated in which every constituent has its own motion but is allowed to interact with the others. The resulting theory is applied to transient wave propagation in the laminated composite. It is shown that debonding in the tangential direction is significant in modifying the shape and amplitude of the propagating wave.     

Electromagnetic wave propagation in rain and polarization effects

This paper summarizes our study on microwave and millimeter-wave propagation in rain with special emphasis on the effects of polarization. Starting from a recount of our past findings, we will discuss developments with these and how they are connected with subsequent research.     

The effect of load on guided wave propagation

The motivation for this work is the development of load measurement techniques based on the velocity of propagating guided waves in structural members such as cable and rail. A finite element technique for modelling the dispersion characteristics of guided waves in a waveguide of arbitrary cross section subjected to axial load is presented. The results from the FE model are compared to results obtained from a simple Euler–Bernoulli beam model. A dimensionless measure of the sensitivity of phase and group velocity to load is defined as the fractional change in velocity divided by the applied strain. At frequency waveguide-characteristic-dimension products (fd) of greater than around 1 for phase velocity and 5 for group velocity the sensitivity to strain levels likely to be encountered in engineering materials is strain independent (indicating that the change in velocity is proportional to strain) and decreases with increasing frequency. In this fd range, phase velocity increases under tensile loading and group velocity decreases. For waveguides with simple cross sections, such as plates and circular rods, it is shown that the Euler–Bernoulli beam model provides acceptable results over the majority of the fd range where there is measurable sensitivity to load. However, for waveguides with more complex cross sections such as rail, the Euler–Bernoulli beam model is less satisfactory. In particular, it does not predict the subtleties of the sensitivity of certain modes at high frequencies, nor any sensitivity for the torsional fundamental mode.     

Cellular pattern formation in detonation propagation

The relation between the soot track on smoked plate records and the frontal structure of gaseous detonations was experimentally studied to clarify the mechanism of cellular pattern formation by using combination images of high-speed schlieren pictures, self-emission images of the reaction front, and the smoked plate record. Several materials were tested as alternatives to soot particles of smoked foil technique to record detonation structure. The experimental results show that the triple point trajectory coincides with the soot track and that cellular cell-like patterns are obtained for CaCO₃ particles, fly ash, heat-sensitive paper, and pressure-sensitive paper. An asymmetrical cellular pattern in the smoked plate record is exhibited in the case of the pressure-sensitive paper, while a symmetrical pattern is observed for the other materials. This asymmetry is successfully explained by the temporal response of the pressure-sensitive paper from evaluation of time integration of pressure, namely impulse to time varying loading. Estimation of wall shear stress and tensile strength of agglomerated particles layer on the basis of an analogy to particle entrainment from fine powder layers shows the critical particle diameter for removal of particles. However, the shear stress is found to be not strong enough for removal of particles located in the triple point trajectory. Finally other additional mechanisms for local detachment of particles are discussed.     

套管井体胶结状态对井孔中声传播的影响

从波动方程出发,利用匹配边界条件,木文推导出套管井中由单极子和多极子声源激发的井内声场定解表达式及相应的导波色散方程.利用实轴积分法和快速傅里叶交换数值方法,具体计算了套管井中不同胶结情况时由单极子声源和偶极子声源激发的井轴上不同源距处的全波列波形。结合套管井中的轴对称导波模式,分析了胶结状况对套管井中单极子和偶极子声源激发的声场的影响.研究结果表明:仅利用普通单极子声源或偶极子声源进行套管井测井,难以区分出套管胶结良好、套管与水泥为滑移胶结和自由套管情况三种不同的胶结情况;只有把普通单极子声源测井与偶极子声源测井结合起来,才有可能准确评价套管的胶结情况。     

Initiation of a detonation wave by resonant laser radiation in a hydrogen-oxygen mixture flowing about a wedge

The formation of an oblique detonation wave in a supersonic hydrogen-oxygen flow about a planar wedge is considered. It is shown that the excitation of the electronic state b ¹Σ _g ⁺ in oxygen molecules by resonant laser radiation with a wavelength of 762 nm makes it possible to initiate detonation combustion at a distance of ≈1 m from the tip of the wedge at low temperatures (500–600 K). Notably, it suffices to irradiate the gas in the narrow (0.5–1.0 cm across) paraxial region of the flow near the tip of the wedge. It is found that the laser-induced excitation of molecular oxygen is several times more efficient than ordinary heating of the mixture to initiate a detonation wave.     

Energy release effect of mixture on single spinning detonation structure

Unsteady three-dimensional numerical simulation on a single spinning detonation in a circular tube are presented in order to understand the effects of energy release of the mixture on the detonation structure. Overall structures of the spinning detonations such as the shock structure around the spin head, the long pressure trail, and the track angle on the wall are not affected by these effects because they depend on the specific heat ratio of the products which has approximately a constant value. The calculated averaged detonation velocities on the symmetry axis during one cycle decrease inversely with an exponential curve to become the value lower than the CJ detonation velocity. Those for p₀ = 0.1 MPa and p₀ = 0.01 MPa become approximately 0.98 D_CJ and 0.92 D_CJ, respectively, because the energy release in the CJ state for p₀ = 0.01 MPa is 10% lower than that for p₀ = 0.1 MPa. The state of gas behind the head of spinning detonation is also evaluated by the classical oblique shock theory and equilibrium calculation by using the track angle, shock wave angle, and detonation velocity in order to compare with the present and other researcher’s numerical results. The effects of the energy release in the mixture are large on the strength of the transverse detonation.     

Statistical analysis of detonation wave structure

Hydrocarbon fueled detonations are imaged in a narrow channel with simultaneous schlieren and broadband chemiluminescence at 5 MHz. Mixtures of stoichiometric methane and oxygen are diluted with various levels of nitrogen and argon to alter the detonation stability. Ethane is added in controlled amounts to methane, oxygen, nitrogen mixtures to simulate the effects of high-order hydrocarbons present in natural gas. Sixteen unique mixtures are characterized by performing statistical analysis on data extracted from the images. The leading shock front of the schlieren images is detected and the normal velocity is calculated at all points along the front. Probability distribution functions of the lead shock speed are generated for all cases and the moments of distribution are computed. A strong correlation is found between mixture instability parameters and the variance and skewness of the probability distribution; mixtures with greater instability have larger skewness and variance. This suggests a quantitative alternative to soot foil analysis for experimentally characterizing the extent of detonation instability. The schlieren and chemiluminescence images are used to define an effective chemical length scale as the distance between the shock front and maximum intensity location along the chemiluminescence front. Joint probability distribution functions of shock speed and chemical length scale enable statistical characterization of coupling between the leading shock and following reaction zone. For more stable, argon dilute mixtures, it is found that the joint distributions follow the trend of the quasi-steady reaction zone. For unstable, nitrogen diluted mixtures, the distribution only follows the quasi-steady solution during high-speed portions of the front. The addition of ethane is shown to have a stabilizing effect on the detonation, consistent with computed instability parameters.     

Nonlinearity effects in wave propagation in multicomponent Bose-Einstein condensates

We consider a spinor Bose-Einstein condensate in its polar ground state. We analyze magnetization waves of a finite amplitude and show that their nonlinear coupling to density waves dramatically changes the dependence of the frequency on the wave number. On the contrary, the density wave propagation is much less modified by nonlinearity effects. A similar phenomenon in a miscible two-component condensate is also studied.