The Key Role of Surface Tension in the Theory of Bubble-Assisted Explosion/Combustion Triggering

Abstract

We have revised the classical and widely accepted theory of (Bowden, F. P.; Yoffe, A. D. The Initiation and Growth of Explosion in Liquids and Solids; Cambridge University Press: New York, NY, 1952) explaining the initiation of explosion/combustion by means of adiabatic compression of the dissolved gaseous bubbles within condensed liquid substances. The main thrust of our study is to explore the role of surface tension at the interface liquid explosive/gaseous bubble. The potential impotence of such a study is associated with smallness of the bubbles. Their smallness causes high overpressure within the bubble as compared with the pressure within the surrounding explosive/flammable liquid due to the Laplace excess pressure. It is demonstrated that the influence of the surface tension can be indeed quite dramatic.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 01, 2008
Accession Number
ADA487495

Entities

People

  • Michael A. Michael A. Grinfeld

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Laboratory

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Compression
  • Energy
  • Energy Transfer
  • Equations
  • Explosions
  • Explosives
  • Heat Capacity
  • Heat Energy
  • High Temperature
  • Hot Spots
  • Liquid Explosives
  • Materials
  • Military Research
  • Overpressure
  • Surface Tension

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Calculus or Mathematical Analysis
  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Underwater engineering and Marine Technology.