Chemical Aspects of the Shock Initiation of Fuel Droplets.

Abstract

A study was conducted of the shock initiation of droplets of five fuels in an oxygen atmosphere. The fuels were ethyl nitrate, propyl nitrate, nitromethane, butyl alcohol, and nitrobenzene. Only the two nitrates ignited. They also were observed to ignite in shocked argon. Their behavior is explained on the basis of their weak bonds and their ability to behave as monopropellants. Schlieren photographs showed that autoignition occurred in the wake of the droplet, and that the flame front expanded rapidly and induced a strong blast wave. The trajectories of the flame fronts and blast waves of the burning nitrate droplets were plotted, and empirical expressions were found. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 01, 1971
Accession Number
AD0725994

Entities

People

  • Norman Slagg
  • Pai Lien Lu

Organizations

  • Picatinny Arsenal

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atmospheres
  • Autoignition
  • Blast
  • Blast Waves
  • Chemical Compounds
  • Combustion
  • Hydrocarbons
  • Monopropellants
  • Nitrobenzenes
  • Nitromethane
  • Organic Compounds
  • Photographs
  • Photography
  • Trajectories

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Organic Chemistry