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On the Theory and Modelling of Flame Acceleration and Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition

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Modeling and Simulation of Turbulent Combustion

Part of the book series: Energy, Environment, and Sustainability ((ENENSU))

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Abstract

Prevention of spontaneous premixed flame acceleration (FA) and deflagration (flame)-to-detonation transition (DDT) would avoid thousands of fatalities and injuries that occur every year in numerous disasters such as accidental mining or power plants explosions. On the other hand, promotion of FA and DDT can be energeticallyefficiently employed in the emerging technologies such as pulse-detonation engines and micro-combustors. Fundamentally, the DDT applications range from terrestrial burning and inertial confined fusion to thermonuclear supernovae and crystals of molecular/nano-magnets. In all these respects, the physical understanding and quantitative description of FA and DDT are critically needed from both practical and fundamental viewpoints. This need is addressed here, with a focus on combustion tubes/channels as the primary geometry. Specifically, various mechanisms of FA in pipes such as those due to (i) wall friction, (ii) in-built obstacles, and (iii) a finger flame shape are described, with various stages of FA and DDT scenarios being simulated and quantified. The locus and timing of detonation initiation, triggered by an accelerating flame front, are prescribed.

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Acknowledgements

This chapter is dedicated to deceased Prof. Vitaly Bychkov (1968-2015) of Umea University, Sweden, whose contributions to the field of flame acceleration and DDT are hard to be overestimated.

The author also thanks his collaborators—Professors Damir Valiev of Tsinghua University, China, Swetaprovo Chaudhuri of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, and C.K. Law of Princeton University, USA—as well as his current and former students at West Virginia University, namely Orlando Ugarte, Sinan Demir, Berk Demirgok, Afeez Adebiyi, Jad Sadek, Serdar Bilgili, Anish Calaway, Frank Kronz, Ram Chalagalla, Swathi Shetty, Bugzy Idowu, Rawan Alkandari, Haley Morella, Torli Bush, Elizabeth Ridgeway, and Mandie Cathreno.

Finally, a financial support of the US National Science Foundation (NSF) through the CAREER Award No. 1554254 is recognized.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, West Virginia University, 395 Evansdale Drive, 26506-6106, Morgantown, WV, USA

    V’yacheslav (Slava) B. Akkerman

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  1. V’yacheslav (Slava) B. Akkerman
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Correspondence to V’yacheslav (Slava) B. Akkerman .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Santanu De

  2. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India

    Avinash Kumar Agarwal

  3. Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

    Swetaprovo Chaudhuri

  4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University, Kolkata, West Bengal, India

    Swarnendu Sen

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Akkerman, V.(.B. (2018). On the Theory and Modelling of Flame Acceleration and Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition. In: De, S., Agarwal, A., Chaudhuri, S., Sen, S. (eds) Modeling and Simulation of Turbulent Combustion. Energy, Environment, and Sustainability. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7410-3_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-7410-3_19

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  • Online ISBN: 978-981-10-7410-3

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