Using Ozone and Hydrogen Peroxide for Manipulating the Velocity Deficits, Detonabilility, and Flammability Limits of Gaseous Detonations

Self-sustained propagation of detonation waves near limits is essential for the successful operation of detonation-based combustors since they suffer from high-velocity deficits near limits due to geometric constraints. This can potentially lead to its failure or attenuation near limits. The failure or attenuation of a detonation wave under such circumstances could lead to the failure of a detonation-based engine altogether. Existing models like Fay’s model reasonably predict detonation velocity deficits for only stable mixtures. The present work focuses on estimating velocity deficits for both stable and unstable mixtures. The proposed model is similar to Fay’s model with the modified reaction zone thickness calculated using \(x = c\left( {\Delta_{i} + \Delta_{r} } \right)\). The value of c is found to be 33.2, 8.6, and 19.5 for H₂–air, CH₄–O₂ (unstable mixtures), and H₂−O₂−Ar mixtures (stable mixture) using existing experimental data. The proposed model predicts velocity deficits better than other existing models for both stable and unstable mixtures over a range of pressure ratios and tube diameters and also near the limits. The addition of O₃ and H₂O₂ at modest concentrations was shown to reduce the velocity deficits near propagation limits. The present work shows that the use of ignition promoters in trace amounts could help in the widening of detonation limits for detonation-based combustors.