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Experimental investigation into the detonation characteristics of hybrid RDX–ethylene–air mixtures

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Abstract

An experimental study is conducted to determine the detonation characteristics of 1,3,5-trinitroperhydro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX) particles dispersed in a gaseous fuel air mixture in a vertical detonation tube with an inner diameter of 200 mm and a height of 5400 mm. Experiments are performed in both ethylene–air mixtures and RDX–ethylene–air hybrid mixtures. The detonation front pressure and velocity are measured with six pressure transducers along the detonation tube. The results show that the addition of RDX assists 4.0 vol.% ethylene–air mixtures in achieving detonation. The detonation front pressure increases noticeably with dust concentration up to \(474\hbox { g/m}^{3}\) in the RDX–ethylene–air hybrid mixtures, but the velocity only increases slightly. The cellular structures of RDX–ethylene–air hybrid mixtures and ethylene–air mixtures were obtained with the use of smoked foils and exhibit irregular structures. It is found that the measured cell size has a U-shaped curve with respect to RDX concentration.

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Acknowledgments

This work has been supported by the National Science Foundation for Young Scientists of China (Grant No. 11102091) and Doctoral Scientific Fund Project of the Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 20113219110010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, Xiaolingwei 200, Xuanwu District, Nanjing, 210094, Jiangsu, China

    L. Yang, J. Yao, Z. Yang, L. Xie, J. Peng & G. Rao

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  1. L. Yang
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  2. J. Yao
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  3. Z. Yang
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  4. L. Xie
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  5. J. Peng
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  6. G. Rao
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Correspondence to G. Rao.

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Communicated by G. Ciccarelli.

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Yang, L., Yao, J., Yang, Z. et al. Experimental investigation into the detonation characteristics of hybrid RDX–ethylene–air mixtures. Shock Waves 26, 611–619 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-016-0622-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-016-0622-7

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