Characterization of fluctuating hydroxyl concentrations in?a?turbulent nonpremixed hydrogen–nitrogen jet flame

Two-point OH time-series measurements using a high-speed, laser-induced fluorescence system have been performed in a turbulent nonpremixed jet flame to obtain both radial and axial space–time correlations. Turbulent OH structures in such flames are found to undergo convection both axially and radially, but OH convection does not satisfy the ‘frozen-turbulence’ hypothesis owing to various turbulent interactions and chemical reactions. While axial OH convection occurs at approximately the local mean bulk velocity, radial convection is largely compromised by strong turbulent mixing along the same direction. The hydroxyl integral length scale can be interpreted as the typical dimension of a convective OH structure, which is axially elongated and becomes more isotropic in the post-flame region. The hydroxyl integral time scale can be interpreted as approximately the ratio of an axial integral length scale to a corresponding local mean flow velocity. In general, macroscale fluctuations of OH are dominated by large-scale turbulence, with little contribution from small-scale turbulence and OH chemistry.     

LES based investigation of autoignition in turbulent co-flow configurations

The impact of turbulence on the autoignition of a diluted hydrogen jet in a hot co-flow of air is studied numerically. The LES combustion model used is successfully validated against experimental measurements and 3D DNS. Parametric studies are then carried out by separately varying turbulent intensity and integral length scale in the co-flow, while keeping all other boundary conditions unchanged. It is found that the impact of turbulence on the location of autoignition is non-trivial. For weak to mild turbulence, with a turbulent time scale larger than the minimum ignition delay time, autoignition is facilitated by increased turbulence. This is due to enhanced mixing between fuel and air, creating larger most reactive mixture fraction regions. On the other hand, for turbulent time scales smaller than the ignition delay time, the increased scalar dissipation rate dominates over the effect of increased most reactive mixture fraction regions, which leads to a rise in the autoignition length. Turbulence–chemistry interaction mechanisms are analysed in order to explain these observations.     

铝粉-空气混合物爆燃转爆轰过程及爆轰波结构

 在长为32.4 m、内径为0.199 m的大型长直水平管道中,对铝粉-空气两相流的燃烧转爆轰（DDT）过程及爆轰波结构进行了实验研究。对铝粉-空气混合物弱点火条件下DDT过程不同阶段的特征进行了分析,实验结果显示混合物经历了缓慢反应压缩阶段、压缩波加速冲击波形成阶段、冲击反应过渡阶段、冲击反应向过压爆轰过渡阶段和爆轰阶段,得到了混合物各阶段的DDT参数,由此进一步分析了DDT浓度的上、下限。在1.4 m爆轰测试段的4个截面的环向上各均匀安装8个传感器,对爆轰波结果进行测试,并对铝粉-空气混合物爆轰波的单头结构进行了分析。     

以HMX为基的两种压装高密度炸药的燃烧转爆轰实验研究

 为研究以HMX为基的固体高能炸药的燃烧转爆轰性能,采用同轴电探针和压力传感器测试技术对常用的A、B两种压装高密度高能炸药开展燃烧转爆轰实验,研究装药组分和约束条件对压装高密度炸药燃烧转爆轰性能的影响。实验结果表明：这两种压装高密度炸药难以发生燃烧转爆轰;在强约束条件下（45号钢,内径25.4 mm、外径65 mm、长度600 mm）,A压装炸药（HMX质量分数为95%,密度为1.86 g/cm³）基本实现了燃烧转爆轰,爆轰诱导距离约为545 mm;在相同的实验条件下,A压装炸药比B压装炸药（HMX质量分数为87%,密度为1.84 g/cm³）更易于发生燃烧转爆轰,即A压装炸药的安定性相对较差。     

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.     

An experimental investigation of the onset of detonation

An experimental configuration is devised in the present investigation whereby the condition at the final phase of the deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) process can be generated reproducibly by reflecting a CJ detonation from a perforated plate. The detonation products are transmitted downstream through the plate, generating a turbulent reaction front that mixes with the unburned mixture and that drives a precursor shock ahead of it at a strength of about M = 3. The gasdynamic condition that is generated downstream of the perforated plate closely corresponds to that just prior to the onset of detonation in the DDT process. The turbulence parameters can be controlled by varying the geometry of the perforated plate; thus, the condition leading to the onset of detonation can be experimentally investigated. A one-dimensional theoretical analysis of the steady wave processes was first performed, and the experimental results show good agreement, indicating that the present experimental condition can be theoretically described. Two different detonation tube geometries (one with a square cross-section of 300 mm by 300 mm and the other with a circular cross-section of 150 mm) are used to demonstrate the independence of the tube diameter at the critical condition for DDT. Perforated plates with different hole diameters (d = 8, 15, and 25 mm) were tested, and the hole spacing to hole diameter ratio was maintained at 0.5. Different hydrogen–air mixtures were tested at normal temperature and pressure. For the plate with 8 mm holes, the onset of detonation is never observed. For the plate with 15 mm holes, successful initiation of a detonation is achieved for 0.8 < < 1.75 in both detonation tubes. For the plate with 25 mm holes, detonation initiation is observed for 0.7 < < 2.1 in the square detonation tube and for 0.8 < < 1.6 in the smaller circular detonation tube.     

Controlled detonation initiation in hypersonic flow

Experimental evidence of controlled detonation initiation and propagation in a hypersonic flow of premixed hydrogen-air is presented. This controlled detonation initiation is created in a hypersonic facility capable of producing a Mach 5 flow of hydrogen-air. Flow diagnostics such as high-speed schlieren and OH* chemiluminescence results show that a flame deflagration-to-detonation transition occurs as a combined result of turbulent flame acceleration and shock-focusing. The experimental results define three new distinct regimes in a Mach 5 premixed flow: deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT), unsteady compressible turbulent flames, and shock-induced combustion. A two-dimensional implicit-LES (ILES) simulation, which solves the compressible, reactive Navier-Stokes equations on an adapting grid is conducted to provide additional insight into the local physical mechanism of detonation transition and propagation.     

Low-velocity detonation modes of grained pyroxylin powder

It is well known that low-velocity detonation excited by the explosion of a thin layer of a plastic explosive within charges of grained pyroxylin powder is propagated with a velocity that is practically constant along the charge. However, it varies depending on the power of the initiating pulse. The present paper is devoted to the elucidation of the mechanism of this unusual feature of detonation process. Experiments were carried out on charges of VTM grade grained single-channel powder with different initial density and were added by numerical modeling. It is shown that the property studied is the consequence of the relatively low intensity of the chemical transformation and the limited charge length (120 mm in the experiment and calculations). The reaction zone of the detonation wave has no time to form completely under these conditions, and the development process is interrupted at a stage when the wave characteristics change actively. The wave evolution was distinctly revealed on pressure profiles; however, the front trajectory, if excluding the initiation area, has an almost linear form. The wave velocity, close to constant, corresponds to this. To form a stationary wave with characteristics that are not dependent on the initiation conditions in a range corresponding to lowvelocity detonation mode, charges with much greater length are necessary. As regards the mechanism of the excitation of chemical transformation in the wave front, as numerical modeling showed, high-porosity charges operate by the gas-phase mechanism (the compression and heating in the high-speed gas flow in pores). In the case of compacted charges with a porosity of 0.2 and lower, heating and ignition of the powder occur by the solid-phase mechanism (because of dissipation at plastic deformations of the porous layer). Details of both mechanisms are considered.     

The effects of flame generated turbulence for turbulent-induced deflagration to detonation transition

The turbulent deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) process occurs when a subsonic flame interacts with intense turbulence resulting in spontaneous acceleration and the onset of DDT. The mechanisms that govern the spontaneous ignition are deduced intricately in numerical simulations. This work experimentally explores the conditions that are known precursors to detonation initiation. More specifically, the experiment presented investigates the role of flame-generated compression as a cycle that continuously amplifies until a hotspot forms on the flame front and ignites. The study quantifies the compression comparatively against other flame regimes through ultra-high speed pressure measurements while qualitatively detailing flame generated compression through density gradients via schlieren imaging. Additionally, flow field measurements are quantified throughout the flow using simultaneous particle image velocimetry (PIV) and OH* chemiluminescence. The turbulence fluctuations and flame speeds are extracted from these measurements to identify the reactant conditions where flame-generated compression begins. Collectively, these simultaneous high-speed measurements provide detailed insight into the flame and flow field characteristics where the runaway process occurs. This work ultimately documents direct flow field measurements to extract the contribution of flame-generated turbulence on the turbulent deflagration to detonation transition process.     

Structure and properties of detonation waves of heterogeneous explosives from the point of view of the hot spots mechanism

It is assumed that the chemical reaction of a detonation transformation, that is, burning, arises first in separate hot spots originated by the explosive compression behind or within the detonation wave front due to heterogeneity of charges, instability of the detonation wave, etc. Then the burning spreads around into the bulk of the explosive and is completed in the Chapman–Jouguet plane, where the detonation product velocity relative to the detonation front is equal to the sound velocity. A simple analytical method proposed early by the authors is used to calculate the expression for the detonation transformation time, from which it follows that there are at least two nondimensional numbers defining the possibility of the realization of the mechanism mentioned above. The first one is the Frank-Kamenetskii number, that is, the relation of the characteristic time of the cooling of the hot spot to the adiabatic induction period at some characteristic temperature of the hot spot. The hot spot mechanism is realized if the Frank-Kamenetskii number is greater than the critical one that determines the minimum possible size of hot spots capable of ignition. The second number is the relation of the detonation transformation time in the presence of hot spots to the reaction time in accordance with classical mechanism. The hot spot mechanism at detonation is realized if this number is less than unity. By means of the numbers proposed, some interpretations of available experimental data concerning the detonation process are given.     

Experimental characterization of detonation initiation modes in a confined chamber flush-mounted with small-diameter ignition tubes

This work reports the experimental characterization of detonation initiation modes in a confined chamber in respect to the different types of reacting waves generated in various small-diameter ignition tubes. Depending on the length of the tube and mixtures composition, four types of reacting waves can be generated and utilized to initiate detonation in the main chamber, namely the over-driven detonation ignition wave, CJ detonation ignition wave, high-speed deflagration ignition wave and deflagration ignition wave. Based on the mechanisms of detonation initiation in the main chamber, four initiation modes can be observed: the direct initiation, the local explosion initiation, and the fast and slow deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) initiation. By comparing the detonation initiation positions and flame-tip velocities, the first two modes show appreciably shorter initiation distances compared to the DDT modes. The over-driven detonation ignition wave is shown to yield a high probability of direct initiation, while contrary to expectation, the high-speed deflagration ignition wave exhibits superior initiation performance compared to the CJ detonation ignition wave. It is illustrated that the energy decay through diffraction and the effect of precursor shock wave reflection on the wall of the rectangular chamber are viable factors responsible for this observation. The deflagration ignition wave is also shown to be able to rapidly initiate the detonation near the inlet of the chamber, albeit with a lower success rate.     

Performance enhancement of a pulse detonation rocket engine

Utilizing liquid kerosene as the fuel, oxygen as oxidizer and nitrogen as purge gas, a series of multi-cycle detonation experiments was conducted to improve the performance of pulse detonation rocket engine (PDRE). In order to improve the performance of the engine, it is crucial to develop an effective DDT enhancement device with less flow loss and higher survival in hostile detonation tube; therefore, three spiraling internal grooves were tested. The three spiraling internal grooves were semicircle, square and inversed-triangle grooves, respectively. The results showed that the spiraling internal groove can effectively enhance DDT and prolong the operation time of PDRE. The effect of groove shape on thrust enhancement of PDRE and the optimum length of spiraling groove were then investigated. To improve the detonability of liquid kerosene and prolong the durability of PDRE, experiments on the kerosene preheating based on active cooling were conducted. The results demonstrated that with the aid of fuel preheating, the detonation initiation time for liquid kerosene was noticeably reduced and a fully-developed detonation wave was achieved in the position away from igniter 4.67 times the diameter of the detonation tube. By adding the additive to liquid kerosene, the detonation initiation time from 0.75 ms decreased to 0.34 ms and the detonability of fuel was dramatically improved. Finally, experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of the operating frequency on the detonation parameters, the fill fraction and PDRE performance. The results indicated that detonation pressure and temperature vary with the operating frequency of PDRE, and the fill fraction has a significant influence on the specific impulse of PDRE. With the strategy of partial filling in detonation tube, the specific impulse can be remarkably enhanced.     

Measurements of three-dimensional mean flame surface area ratio in turbulent premixed Bunsen flames

A data processing scheme with particular emphasis on proper flame contour smoothing is developed and applied to measure the three-dimensional mean flame surface area ratio in turbulent premixed flames. The scheme is based on the two-sheet imaging technique such that the mean flame surface area ratio is an average within a window covering a finite section of the turbulent flame brush. This is in contrast to the crossed-plane tomograph technique which applies only to a line. Two sets of Bunsen flames have been investigated in this work with the turbulent Reynolds number up to 4000 and the Damköhler number ranging from less than unity to close to 10. The results show that three-dimensional effects are substantial. The measured three-dimensional mean flame surface area ratio correlates well with a formula similar to the Zimont model for turbulent burning velocity but with different model constants. Also, the mean flame surface area ratio displays a weak dependency on turbulence intensity but a strong positive dependency on the turbulence integral length scale.     

Thrust characteristics of an airbreathing pulse detonation engine in supersonic flight at various altitudes

The main thrust characteristics, such as thrust force, specific impulse, specific fuel consumption, and specific thrust, of a pulse detonation engine (PDE) with an air intake and nozzle in conditions of flight at a Mach number of 3 and various altitudes (from 8 to 28 km above sea level) are for the first time calculated with consideration given to the physicochemical characteristics of the oxidation and combustion of hydro-carbon fuel (propane), finite time of turbulent flame acceleration, and deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT). In addition, a parametric analysis of the influence of the operation mode and design parameters of the PDE on its thrust characteristics in flight at a Mach number of 3 and an altitude of 16 km is performed, and the characteristics of engines with direct initiation of detonation and fast deflagration are compared. It is shown that a PDE of this design greatly exceeds an ideal ramjet engine in specific thrust, whereas regarding the specific impulse and specific fuel consumption, it is not inferior to the ideal ramjet.     

Effect of ozone addition and ozonolysis reaction on the detonation properties of C2H4/O2/Ar mixtures

Ozone is one of the strongest oxidizers and can be used to enhance detonation. Detonation enhancement by ozone addition is usually attributed to the ozone decomposition reaction which produces reactive atomic oxygen and thereby accelerates the chain branching reaction. Recently, ozonolysis reaction has been found to be another mechanism to enhance combustion for unsaturated hydrocarbons at low temperatures. In this study, the effects of ozone addition and ozonolysis reaction on steady detonation structure and transient detonation initiation and propagation processes in C₂H₄/O₂/O₃/Ar mixtures are examined through simulations considering detailed chemistry. Specifically, the homogeneous ignition process, the ZND detonation structure, the transient direct detonation initiation, and pulsating instability of one-dimensional detonation propagation are investigated. It is found that the homogenous ignition process consists of two stages and the first stage is caused by ozonolysis reactions which consume O₃ and produces CH₂O as well as H and OH radicals. The ozonolysis reaction and ozone decomposition reaction can both reduce the induction length though they have little influence on the Chapman–Jouguet (CJ) detonation speed. The supercritical, critical and subcritical regimes for direct detonation initiation are identified by continuously decreasing the initiation energy or changing the amount of ozone addition. It is found that direct detonation initiation becomes easier at larger amount of ozone addition and/or larger reaction progress variable. This is interpreted based on the change of the induction length of the ZND detonation structure. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the ozonolysis reaction can reduce pulsating instability and make the one-dimensional detonation propagation more stable. This is mainly due to the reduction in activation energy caused by ozone addition and/or ozonolysis reaction. This work shows that both ozone decomposition reaction and ozonolysis reaction can enhance detonation for unsaturated hydrocarbon fuels.     

An experimental investigation of the propagation mechanism of critical deflagration waves that lead to the onset of detonation

The reflection of a CJ detonation from a perforated plate is used to generate high speed deflagrations downstream in order to investigate the critical conditions that lead to the onset of detonation. Different perforated plates were used to control the turbulence in the downstream deflagration waves. Streak Schlieren photography, ionization probes and pressure transducers are used to monitor the flow field and the transition to detonation. Stoichiometric mixtures of acetylene–oxygen and propane–oxygen were tested at low initial pressures. In some cases, acetylene–oxygen was diluted with 80% argon in order to render the mixture more “stable” (i.e., more regular detonation cell structure). The results show that prior to successful detonation initiation, a deflagration is formed that propagates at about half the CJ detonation velocity of the mixture. This “critical” deflagration (which propagates at a relatively constant velocity for a certain duration prior to the onset of detonation) is comprised of a leading shock wave followed by an extended turbulent reaction zone. The critical deflagration speed is not dependent on the turbulence characteristics of the perforated plate but rather on the energetics of the mixture like a CJ detonation (i.e., the deflagration front is driven by the expansion of the combustion products). Hence, the critical deflagration is identified as a CJ deflagration. The high intensity turbulence that is required to sustain its propagation is maintained via chemical instabilities in the reaction zone due to the coupling of pressure fluctuations with the energy release. Therefore, in “unstable” mixtures, critical deflagrations can be supported for long durations, whereas in “stable” mixtures, deflagrations decay as the initial plate generated turbulence decays. The eventual onset of detonation is postulated to be a result of the amplification of pressure waves (i.e., turbulence) that leads to the formation of local explosion centers via the SWACER mechanism during the pre-detonation period.     

Understanding and modeling turbulent fluxes and entrainment in a gravity current

We present an experimental study of the mixing processes in a gravity current flowing on an inclined plane. The turbulent transport of momentum and density can be described in a very direct and compact form by a Prandtl mixing length model: the turbulent vertical fluxes of momentum and density are found to scale quadratically with the vertical mean gradients of velocity and density. The scaling coefficient, the square of the mixing length, is approximately constant over the mixing zone of the stratified shear layer. We show how, in different flow configurations, this length can be related to the shear length of the flow (ε/∂_zu³)^1/2. We also study the fluctuations of the momentum and density turbulent fluxes, showing how they relate to mixing and to the entrainment/detrainment balance. We suggest a quantitative measure of local entrainment and detrainment derived from observed conditional correlations of density flux and density or vertical velocity fluctuations.     

Laser velocimeter correlation measurements in subsonic and supersonic jets

This paper describes laser velocimeter cross-correlation measurements conducted in the flow field of a jet. The jet conditions were varied over a range of Mach numbers from 0·5 to 1·37, and in the case of the Mach 0·9 jet, tests were also run at an absolute exit temperature equal to 2·32 that of the ambient. From the families of cross-correlation curves, the integral length scales, the convection velocity and the integral time scale in the moving frame were determined. It was found that the axial and radial integral length scales changed almost linearly with the axial distance from the nozzle, at rates which were in agreement with Jones' [1]. The convection velocity and integral time scale also agreed with values previously obtained with hot wire anemometers. The effects of jet exit conditions on the variation of the length scales were not noticeable. However, in the case of the convection velocity and time scale, there was some dependence on the jet conditions.     

Use of Lagrangian statistics for the analysis of the scale separation hypothesis in turbulent channel flow

Turbulence models often involve Reynolds averaging, with a closure providing the Reynolds stress tensor as function of mean velocity gradients, through a turbulence constitutive equation. The main limitation of this linear closure is that it rests on an analogy with kinetic theory. For this analogy to be valid there has to be a scale separation between the mean velocity variations and the turbulent Lagrangian free path whose mean value is the turbulent mixing length. The aim of this work is to better understand this hypothesis from a microscopic point of view. Therefore, fluid elements are tracked in a turbulent channel flow. The flow is resolved by direct numerical simulation (DNS). Statistics on particle trajectories ending on a certain distance y₀ from the wall are computed, leading to estimations of the turbulent mixing length scale and the Knudsen number. Comparing the computed values to the Knudsen number in the case of scale separation, we may know in which region of the flow and to what extent the turbulence constitutive equation is not verified. Finally, a new non-local formulation for predicting the Reynolds stress is proposed.     

非均匀炸药冲击起爆和起爆后的行为

 介绍并分析了Campbell 等人及其他作者研究非均匀炸药冲击起爆和起爆后行为所获得的实验结果,但不涉及其冲击起爆条件。足够强的冲击波进入非均匀炸药后,爆轰将瞬时（指不经过感应时间）且直接（指不经过其他过程,如爆燃）被引发;非均匀炸药起爆后,其中传播的自始至终是一个不断增长的爆轰波,直至发展为正常爆轰,整个过程都是爆轰的增长（新定义）过程。不存在由反应冲击波不断增长并转变为爆轰波的所谓向爆轰的增长。所谓向爆轰的增长,实际上是爆轰的增长（按新定义）的初期;Craig原定义的爆轰的增长,实际上是爆轰的增长（按新定义）的后期;而所谓反应冲击波,实际上是增长中的初期爆轰波。爆轰的增长（按新定义）是所有猛炸药的特性,炸药反应不充分并逐渐趋于充分是爆轰的增长的化学机制。