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Propagation of near-limit gaseous detonations in small diameter tubes

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Abstract

In this study, detonation limits in very small diameter tubes are investigated to further the understanding of the near-limit detonation phenomenon. Three small diameter circular tubes of 1.8, 6.3, and 9.5 mm inner diameters, of 3 m length, were used to permit the near-limit detonations to be observed over long distances of 300 to 1500 tube diameters. Mixtures with high argon dilution (stable) and without dilution (unstable) are used for the experiments. For stable mixtures highly diluted with argon for which instabilities are not important and where failure is due to losses only, the limit obtained experimentally appears well to be in good agreement in comparison to that computed by the quasi-steady ZND theory with flow divergence or curvature term modeling the boundary layer effects. For unstable detonations it is suggested that suppression of the instabilities of the cellular detonation due to boundary conditions is responsible for the failure of the detonation wave. Different near-limit propagation regimes are also observed, including the spinning and galloping mode. Based on the present experimental results, an attempt is made to study an operational criterion for the propagation limits of stable and unstable detonations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Mechanical Engineering, McGill University, Montréal, QC, H3A 2K6, Canada

    Alexandra Camargo & John H. S. Lee

  2. Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Concordia University, Montréal, QC, H3G 1M8, Canada

    Hoi Dick Ng

  3. FM Global, Research Division, Norwood, MA, 02062, USA

    Jenny Chao

Authors
  1. Alexandra Camargo
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  2. Hoi Dick Ng
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  3. Jenny Chao
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  4. John H. S. Lee
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Correspondence to Hoi Dick Ng.

Additional information

Communicated by S. Dorofeev.

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.

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Camargo, A., Ng, H.D., Chao, J. et al. Propagation of near-limit gaseous detonations in small diameter tubes. Shock Waves 20, 499–508 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-010-0253-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00193-010-0253-3

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