Mach reflection in detonations propagating through a gas with a concentration gradient

In accident scenarios where detonations can occur a concentration gradient constitutes a more realistic initial condition than a perfectly homogeneous mixture. In this paper, the influence of a concentration gradient on detonation front shape, detonation instabilities and pressure distribution is studied. First, a simple method to determine the front shape from a given fuel distribution is presented. It is based on Huygens’ principle and includes a correction to satisfy the boundary conditions on the enclosing walls. Next, the presented highly resolved Euler computations demonstrate the influence of a concentration gradient on detonation instabilities. In configurations with a strong concentration gradient, Mach reflection occurs and leads to an asymmetric pressure load on the enclosing geometry. In this case, the impulse on the wall is higher than in configurations with homogeneous fuel distribution, although the fuel content is much lower.