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Propagation characteristics of shock waves driven by gaseous detonation waves

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Abstract

We experimentally investigated propagation characteristics of the shock wave driven by a gaseous detonation wave emerging from the open end of a cylindrical detonation tube. In the present study, we visualized the shock wave and exhaust flowfields using a shadowgraph optical system and we obtained peak overpressure in the tube axial direction and the continuous shape transformation of shock waves around the tube open end. We also obtained overpressure histories of the shock wave using piezo-pressure transducers within 201 m from the open end of the tube. We normalized and classified these results by four regions using non-dimensional pressure and distance which are independent of variety of mixture and tube diameter. In the vicinity of the open end of the tube, the shock wave is nearly planar and does not significantly attenuate, and the peak overpressure maintains approximately C–J pressure. Subsequently, the shock wave attenuates rapidly, transforming from quasi-spherical to spherical. Farther from the tube open end, the shock wave propagates with approximately sound characteristic so that the peak overpressure decreases proportional to 1/r. Eventually, the shock wave begins to attenuate more rapidly than ideal sound attenuation, which may be due to the viscous effect.

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Abbreviations

D :

Tube inner diameter

L :

Tube length

r :

Distance from the tube open end

r v :

Axial distance of an observed region

W d :

Characteristic explosion length in Piston Model

W s :

Scaling length in Constant Energy Efflux Model

R d :

Normalized distance in Piston Model

R s :

Normalized distance in Constant Energy Efflux Model

p :

Peak pressure of a shock wave in tube axial direction

p 0 :

Initial pressure of mixture filling a tube

p CJ :

Pressure at C–J state

p e :

Pressure at a tube exit

p atm :

Ambient pressure

u :

Particle velocity

u CJ :

Particle velocity at C–J state

u e :

Particle velocity at a tube exit

ρ e :

Density at a tube exit

T CJ :

Temperature at C–J state

a :

Sound speed

a CJ :

Sound speed at C–J state

a e :

Sound speed at a tube exit

γ CJ :

Specific heat ratio at C–J state

S(t):

Area of undisturbed shock front performing work to ambient

A e :

Area of a tube exit

C v :

Specific heat at constant volume

C vCJ :

Specific heat at constant volume and C–J state

E 0 :

Energy supplied from burned-pressurized gas to outside volume in Piston Model

\({\dot{E}}\) :

Energy efflux rate from pressurized gas to outside volume in Constant Energy Efflux Model

h t :

Height of a tube open end

h p :

Height of a pressure sensor

δ :

Thickness of a diaphragm

t :

Time where t = 0 is rupture of a diaphragm

R :

Gas constant

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Correspondence to J. Kasahara.

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Communicated by L. Bauwens.

This paper is based on work that was presented at the 22nd International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems, Minsk, Belarus, July 27–31, 2009.

J. Kasahara and A. Matsuo are Senior Member AIAA.

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Kato, S., Hashimoto, S., Uemichi, A. et al. Propagation characteristics of shock waves driven by gaseous detonation waves. Shock Waves 20, 479–489 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-010-0279-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-010-0279-6

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