Shock-Induced Thermal Runaway,

Abstract

Ignition of an initially cold combustible gas is studied when chemical reaction is switched on due to the passage of a piston-supported shock of sufficient strength. The time and space history of the shocked gas up to the instant of thermal runaway is described, by using a combination of asymptotics and numerics. Consider a combustible material confined to the half space x > 0 and capable of undergoing an exothermic chemical reaction of the Arrhenius type. Suppose that the temperature of the material is so low that it is practically inert, and will not burn if left alone. Let combustion be initiated by applying an ignition stimulus at the boundary x = 0. It is of considerable interest to obtain a mathematical description of the events following the application of the stimulus. In particular, if a combustion wave propagating through the material is eventually established, it is important to understand the evolutionary process that gives rise to it.

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1985
Accession Number
ADP004920

Entities

People

  • A. K. Kapila
  • T. L. Jackson

Organizations

  • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Applied Mathematics
  • Boundaries
  • Chemical Reactions
  • Combustion
  • Ignition
  • Materials
  • Mathematics

Fields of Study

  • Mathematics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Combustion science or combustion engineering.
  • Mathematical Modeling and Probability Theory.

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster