Behavior of detonation waves at low pressures

Abstract.

With respect to stability of gaseous detonations, unsteady behavior of galloping detonations and re-initiation process of hydrogen-oxygen mixtures are studied using a detonation tube of 14 m in length and 45 mm i.d. The arrival of the shock wave and the reaction front is detected individually by a double probe combining of a pressure and an ion probe. The experimental results show that there are two different types of the re-initiation mechanism. One is essentially the same as that of deflagration to detonation transition in the sense that a shock wave generated by flame acceleration causes a local explosion. From calculated values of ignition delay behind the shock wave decoupled from the reaction front, the other is found to be closely related with spontaneous ignition. In this case, the fundamental propagation mode shows a spinning detonation.