Formation of the preheated zone ahead of a propagating flame and the mechanism underlying the deflagration-to-detonation transition

The Letter presents analytical, numerical and experimental studies of the mechanism underlying the deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT). Insight into how, when, and where DDT occurs is obtained by analyzing analytically and by means of multidimensional numerical simulations dynamics of a flame accelerating in a tube with no-slip walls. It is shown that the deflagration-to-detonation transition exhibits three separate stages of evolution corroborating majority experimental observations. During the first stage flame accelerates and generates shocks far ahead of the flame front. During the second stage the flame slows down, shocks are formed in the immediate proximity of the flame front and the preheated zone ahead of the flame front is created. The third stage is self-restructuring of the steep temperature profile within the flame, formation of a reactivity gradient and the actual formation of the detonation wave itself. The mechanism for the detonation wave formation, given an appropriate formation of the preheated zone, seems to be universal and involves a reactivity gradient formed from the initially steep flame temperature profile in the presence of the preheated zone. The developed theory and numerical simulations are found to be well consistent with extensive experiments of the DDT in hydrogen-oxygen and ethylene-oxygen mixtures in tubes with smooth and rough walls.     

Diffusively anisotropic model for the deflagration-to-detonation transition

To elucidate the key mechanisms responsible for the transition from deflagrative to detonative combustion in smooth-walled channels, a reactive flow with anisotropic thermal and molecular diffusivities is considered. Setting the transverse diffusivities large compared to longitudinal diffusivities, the initially formed deflagration (despite no-slip boundary conditions) appears to be nearly planar and not accelerating. This, however, does not prevent its eventual abrupt transition to Chapman–Jouguet detonation.     

Cyclic deflagration-to-detonation transition in the flow-type combustion chamber of a pulse-detonation burner

The possibility of realization of a rapid cyclic deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) with a frequency of up to 2 Hz under conditions of high-velocity flow (～10 m/s) and separate supply of the combustible mixture components (methane and air) in a tube, 5.5 m in length and 150 mm in diameter, with an open end at a low ignition energy (～1 J) is for the first time demonstrated. It is shown that such a tube with turbulizing obstacles of special shape and placement can ensure reliable DDT at a distance of 3–4 m from the ignition source within Δτ_DDT ≤ 20 ms after ignition. The results will be used in the development of a new type of industrial burner—a pulse-detonation burner for high-rate heating and fragmentation, combining thermal and shock-wave (mechanical) impacts on the treated object.     

Influence of turbulent flow on the deflagration-to-detonation transition in hydrogen-oxygen-air mixtures in a pulse combustor

The effect of turbulization of a hydrogen-oxygen-air mixture flow on the deflagration-to-detonation transition in a pulse combustor (PC) is studied. The parameters of operation of the PC with flame front propagation in a quiescent and strongly turbulized mixtures (Re ? 10⁴) are compared. It is shown that, in case of a quiescent mixture no detonation occurs because of a small length of the PC. The presence of intense pulsations (Re > 2 · 10⁴) created by elements of special configuration in the mixing chamber promotes the formation of a detonation wave, the velocity of which depends on the fuel-to-oxidizer equivalence ratio.     

The role of spontaneous waves in the deflagration-to-detonation transition in submillimetre channels

Flame acceleration and transition to detonation in submillimetre two-dimensional planar and three-dimensional square channels were simulated by solving the compressible reactive Navier–Stokes equations. A simplified chemical–diffusive model was used to describe the diffusive transport and chemical reaction of a highly reactive mixture, such as stoichiometric ethylene and oxygen in 2D and 3D channels. The walls of the channels were modelled as no-slip and adiabatic. The initial flame acceleration and precursor shock formation were consistent with earlier results. Viscous dissipation in the boundary layer heats the reactants, which have been compressed by the precursor shock. The strength of the precursor shock and the amount of viscous dissipation increase until the temperature of the boundary layer is high enough to ignite the reactants. This produces a spontaneous wave, which, in most of the cases considered, initiates the detonation. The spontaneous wave first forms where the flame attaches to the wall in the planar channels, and forms at the corner where two walls meet in the square channels. In a separate study, the boundary layer also ignited in a computation for a circular tube containing a mixture hydrogen and oxygen represented by a detailed chemical reaction mechanism. The formation of spontaneous waves to the extent studied appears to be robust, and is relatively insensitive to channel geometry, fuel and oxidiser mixture, and the level of detail in the chemical–diffusive models used.     

Flame dynamics and consideration of deflagration-to-detonation transition in central gravitational field

Expanding reaction fronts are central to many terrestrial processes as well as such cosmic phenomena as the thermonuclear combustion in supernovae. While in terrestrial conditions the effect of intrinsic flamefront instabilities is generally believed to be supplementary to, say, external turbulence and chamber dynamics, at the astrophysical scale the role of flamefront instabilities in the flame acceleration is presumably dominant. Moreover, while in terrestrial systems we focus mainly on the hydrodynamic, Darrieus–Landau (DL) instability, the Rayleigh–Taylor (RT), body-force instability could be a key issue for astrophysical flames because of the enormous gravity and the associated large scales. Consequently, if RT effects dominate over DL effects, the globally-spherical flamefront can be replaced by an expanding bubble with a non-spherical shape, possibly that of digit “8”. In the present work we have developed a self-similar formulation describing a globally-spherical expanding flamefront corrugated due to the DL instability in a central gravitation field. The associated scenario of the flame acceleration, the evolution of the upstream flow, and the instant when a gas parcel ahead of the flamefront first explodes, hence initiating the deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT), as well as the radial coordinate of this parcel, are determined. We have also compared the effects of DL and RT instabilities, estimating whether a globally-spherical, DL-corrugated flamefront is subsequently terminated by the formation of RT bubbles. It is shown how the instant of such a transition and the relevant global flame radius are coupled to various flame and flow parameters.     

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.     

Deflagration-to-detonation transition in an unconfined space: Expanding hydrogen-oxygen flames

The problem of deflagration-to-detonation transition in an unconfined environment is revisited. With a freely expanding self-accelerating fractal-like hydrogen-oxygen flame as an example, it is shown that deflagration-to-detonation transition is indeed possible provided the flame is large enough. The transition occurs prior to merging of the flame with the flame-supported precursor shock. The pre-transition flame does not reach the threshold of CJ-deflagration. Numerical simulations employed are based on the recently developed pseudo-spectral method with time and space adaptation.     

Lamellar-to-nematic phase transition in a lipid-surfactant mixture

A lyotropic system, consisting of a lecithin (DMPC) and a non-ionic surfactant (C₁₂E₅) in water was studied. The system exhibits a lamellar-to-nematic phase transition. The nematic phase appears as the temperature is decreased and only exists in a very limited temperature and concentration range, for specific lipid-to-surfactant ratios. While a lamellar phase is found at higher temperatures in both mixed and pure C₁₂E₅ systems, the transition to the nematic phase at lower temperatures coincides with a micellar phase in the pure C₁₂E₅ system. The transition appears to be driven by the strong temperature dependence of the surfactant film spontaneous curvature. The structural properties of the lamellar phase close to the lamellar-to-nematic boundary have been studied by polarised light microscopy and small-angle neutron and X-ray scattering experiments. The signature of a helical defect with Burgers vector of magnitude 2 is apparent in our data, close to the lamellar-to-nematic phase transition. The proliferation of screw dislocations in the lamellar phase might be a plausible mechanism for driving this transition. Received 6 July 1999 and Received in final form 17 April 2000     

On the possible mechanism of structural transition in cuprates

A possible mechanism of tetragonal to orthorhombic transition in high-T_c cuprates based on the removal of orbital degeneracy of p states in the CuO₂ cell by electron lattice interaction is proposed. Spontaneous distortion creates a finite energy gap or a pseudogap in the density of states depending on the relative strength of the next-near and nearest neighbour hopping strengths. The gap is a function of electron density and vanishes beyond the structural transition temperature. The growth of the gap leads to a metal semiconductor transition as temperature decreases with attendant stripe and orbital ordering. The phase diagram for the distorted phase is examined in detail in the parameter space.     

Strong flame acceleration and detonation limit of hydrogen-oxygen mixture at cryogenic temperature

A series of experiments were carried out in a closed tube at cryogenic temperature (77 K) for hydrogen-oxygen mixtures. Flame propagation speed and overpressure were measured by optical fibers and pressure sensors, respectively. The first and second shock waves were captured in the cryogenic experiments, although the shock waves always precede the flames in all cases indicating the absence of stable detonation. However, strong flame acceleration was observed for all situations, which is consistent with the prediction by expansion ratio and Zeldovich number. Besides, the tube diameter and length are also critical for flame acceleration to supersonic. All the flames in this work accelerate drastically reaching the C-J deflagration state. But at 0.4 atm, only fast flame is formed, while at higher initial pressures, the flame further accelerates to a galloping mode manifesting a near-limit detonation, which could be indicated by the stability parameter $\chi$.     

On the possible mechanism of increase in the phase transition temperature in a ferroelectric-insulator composite

The phase transition temperature of a small ferroelectric sample has been determined by solving the system of nonlinear equations of electrostatics and the equilibrium equation with a nonlinear boundary condition at the sample surface with the use of a method of finite elements. It has been shown that the phase transition temperature can be shifted to higher temperatures owing to the effect of the surface. The dependence of the phase transition temperature on the size and shape of the ferroelectric sample and on the properties of its surface has been found. The possibility of the experimental observation of this effect has been discussed.     

On the mechanism of the increasing phase transition point in ferroactive nanocomposites

The numerical analysis of a nonlinear equation set has revealed a possible increase in the ferroelectric phase transition point at the presence of the intermediate layer at the ferroelectric–dielectric interface. The order parameter distribution in the ferroelectric particles, as well as the effect of the intermediate layer thickness on the Curie temperature, has been studied.     

Re-entrant glass transition in a colloid-polymer mixture with depletion attractions

Performing light scattering experiments we show that introducing short-ranged attraction to a colloid suspension of nearly hard spheres by addition of a free polymer produces new glass-transition phenomena. We observe a dramatic acceleration of the density fluctuations amounting to the melting of a colloidal glass. Upon increasing the strength of the attractions the system freezes into another nonergodic state sharing some qualitative features with gel states occurring at lower colloid packing fractions. This re-entrant glass transition is in qualitative agreement with recent theoretical predictions.     

On the mechanism of the effect of an inhibitor on the structure of the detonation wave in a hydrogen-air mixture

By the example of the oxidation of hydrogen, it is shown that effect of inhibitors on detonation is of thermal nature and causes an increase in the induction period.     

Thermal transport properties in a He---He mixture near and below the superfluid transition

Measurements of the thermal conductivity and of X/T are reported for a ³He---⁴He mixture with a ³He mole fraction X = 0.622. At T_λ, X/T passes through a sharp peak. A comparison with the theory of Khalatnikov is presented. The relaxation times τ(T) to reach steady state conditions show qualitatively the same behaviors as X/T.