ENERGY EXCHANGE IN SHOCK AND DETONATION WAVES
Abstract
In shock waves with strengths and final temperatures equivalent to those in detonations, translational and rotational equilibrium is reached in the initial compression process, i. e. in 10-20 collisions. Vibrational relaxation was not well studied at the temperatures appropriate to detonation but are certainly much slower, of the order of hundreds or thousands of collisions. On the basis of model calculations, the main part of the heat evolution in hydrogen-oxygen detonations occurs later. All of this supports the ZND model of a gaseous detonation. No signal was observed which could be shown to originate in reflection from the initial compression in H2 + 3O2 detonations. Rather, the observed signal seemed to be caused by scattering from a zone extending about 2.5 mm back into the detonation wave. This observation is consistent with the observation by White and others of a complex wave structure and possibly turbulence in detonations at low pressure. Such structure or turbulence persists up to several atmospheres initial pressure. In that case the properties of detonations may be largely affected by turbulent heat transfer rather than molecular relaxation processes. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0286790
Entities
People
- D.f. Hornig
Organizations
- Princeton University