Abstract
The aim of this experimental investigation is the study of Deflagration to Detonation Transition (DDT) in tubes in order to (i) reduce both run-up distance and time of transition (L DDT and t DDT) in connection with Pulsed Detonation Engine applications and to (ii) attempt to scale L DDT with λCJ (the detonation cellular structure width). In DDT, the production of turbulence during the long flame run-up can lead to L DDT values of several meters. To shorten L DDT, an experimental set-up is designed to quickly induce highly turbulent initial flow. It consists of a double chamber terminated with a perforated plate of high Blockage Ratio (BR) positioned at the beginning of a 26 mm inner diameter tube containing a “Shchelkin spiral” of BR ≈ 0.5. The study involves stoichiometric reactive mixtures of H2, CH4, C3H8, and C2H4 with oxygen and diluted with N2 in order to obtain the same cell width λCJ≈10 mm at standard conditions. The results show that a shock-flame system propagating with nearly the isobaric speed of sound of combustion products, called the choking regime, is rapidly obtained. This experimental set-up allows a L DDT below 40 cm for the mixtures used and a ratio L DDT/λCJ ranging from 23 to 37. The transition distance seems to depend on the reduced activation energy (E a/RT c) and on the normalized heat of reaction (Q/a 0 2). The higher these quantities are, the shorter the ratio L DDT/λCJ is.
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Communicated by J. E. Shepherd
PACS 47.40.Rs · 47.60.+i · 47.70.Pq · 47.80.Cb
This paper was based on the work that was presented at the 19th International Colloquium on the Dynamics of Explosions and Reactive Systems, Hakone, Japan, July 27–August 1, 2003.
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Sorin, R., Zitoun, R. & Desbordes, D. Optimization of the deflagration to detonation transition: reduction of length and time of transition. Shock Waves 15, 137–145 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-006-0007-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-006-0007-4