Detonation diffraction in combustible high-speed flows

Detonation propagating in a T-shaped tube with quiescent and moving hydrogen/oxygen/argon mixtures is numerically examined based on the Euler equations with detailed finite-rate chemistry using the fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme. When diffracted in a quiescent combustible mixture, the detonation wave propagating from the bottom of the T-shaped tube is influenced by the corner rarefaction waves and decays into a non-reacting shock. Subsequently, the decoupled shock reflects irregularly from the top wall. Through several reflections back and forth between the top and bottom walls, a planar detonation is finally re-established. When the combustible mixture in the horizontal part flows from the left to the right, the detonation products ejected from the vertical tube will retard the flow, generating a compression flow upstream and a rarefaction flow downstream. The disturbed detonation on the left side is stronger than that on the right side. The final planar detonation in the upstream direction propagates faster than the Chapman–Jouguet (CJ) detonation with compressed, fine cellular structures, whereas the detonation in the downstream direction propagates more slowly than the CJ detonation with elongated, coarse cellular structures. The details of the transient behavior of diffracting detonation in high-speed flows are discussed.