FORMATION AND PROPAGATION MECHANISMS OF DIVERGING GASEOUS DETONATION WAVES5

An experimental and theoretical program was carried out to study the formation and propagation mechanisms of diverging gaseous detonation waves. In essence the problem under study is representative of a more general and fundamental problem in the field of reactive gas dynamics and in flows with stagnation temperatures namely that of non-linear coupling between the gas dynamics and chemical kinetics in a transient flow field. In our case this was done by choosing a well-known hydrodynamic transient flow field that could be described by simple analytical methods and readily generated experimentally. The specific example chosen was the transient flow structure of a point initiated spherical blast wave propagating into a gaseous detonative medium. Theoretically, the so-called 'reacting blast wave'; model has been developed and two limiting solutions have been obtained for this model using a novel analytical technique. Experimental simulation of the reacting blast wave model was achieved by laser spark ignition of an entire range of spherical reacting fronts. In this manner categorization of spherical reacting fronts into distinct regimes of propagation has become possible. (Author)