Fuel and Combustion

Fuel and Combustion

An Experimental Study of Spiral Effect on Deflagration to Detonation Transition

Authors
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
Abstract
The objective of this paper is to experimentally investigate the effects of Shchelkin spiral geometry in the transition from deflagration to detonation on the quality of the produced detonation. Deflagration to detonation transition (DDT) is required in cases where ignition energy release is less than the critical ignition energy required for a direct detonation initiation. A stoichiometric mixture of hydrogen–oxygen has been used in a tube of 25 mm diameter and 700 mm length. Spiral coils have been mounted at the ignition-end of the tube to facilitate DDT. Keeping spiral coil diameter fixed at 22mm, the coil length, pitch and thickness were varied to produce desirable detonation waves. Spiral coil selection was based on several criteria including; the pressure and velocity jump across the wave at the beginning of the tube, and the percentage of successful tests in each batch. The results indicate that the spiral coil pitch has the greatest influence on minimizing the DDT length and obtaining a desirable detonation.
Keywords

1.     Hekiri, H., “Parametric Cycle Analysis for Pulse Detonation Engines,” MS Thesis at Aerospace Engineering Department, The University of TEXAS at Arlington, USA, 2005.
2.     Nori, V., Lerma, N., Gustavsson, J., and Segal, C., “Forced Oscillations in a Mixed-Compression Inlet at Mach 3.5 for Pulse Detonation Engine Systems,” Journal of Fluids Engineering, 128, pp. 494-507, 2006.
3.     Roya, G. D., Frolovb, S. M., Borisovb, A. A., and Netzer, D.W., “Pulse Detonation Propulsion: Challenges, Current Status, and Future Perspective,” Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, 30, pp. 545-672, 2004.
4.     Plaster, M., McClenagan, R. D., Benz, F. J., Shepherd, J. E., and Lee, J. H. S., “Detonation of Cryogenic Gaseous Hydrogen-Oxygen Mixtures,” Prog. Astronaut Aeronaut, 133, pp. 37-55, 1991.
5.     Hoke, J. L., Bradley, R. P., and Schauer, F. R., “Impact of DDT Mechanism, Combustion Wave Speed, Temperature, and Charge Quality on Pulsed-Detonation-Engine Performance,” 43rd AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, Reno, Nevada, 2005.
6.     Lee, S. Y., Watts, J., Saretto, S., Pal, S., Conrad, C., Woodward, R., and Santoro, R., “Deflagration to Detonation Transition Processes by Turbulence-Generating Obstacles in Pulse Detonation Engines,” Journal of Propulsion and Power, 20, pp. 1026-1036, 2004.
7.     Meyer, T. R., Hoke, J. L., Brown, M. S., Gord, J. R., and Schauer, F. R., “Experimental Study of Deflagration-to-Detonation Enhancement Techniques in a H2/Air Pulsed-Detonation Engine,” 38th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Indianapolis, Indiana, 2002.
8.     Cooper, M., Jackson, S. and Shepherd, J. E., “Effect of Deflagration-to-Detonation Transition on Pulse Detonation Engine Impulse,” GALCIT Report FM00-3, 2000.
9.     Farinaccio, R., Harris, P. G., and Stowe, R. A., “Turbulent Flow Effects on DDT Run-up Distance for a Pulse Detonation Engine,” 40th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 2004.
10.  Schultz, E., Wintenberger, E. and Shepherd, J. E., “Investigation of Deflagration to Detonation Transition for Application to Pulse Detonation Engine Ignition Systems,” California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA 91125, USA.
11.  Zhang, F. Y., Fujiwara, T., Miyasaka, T., Nakayama, E., Hattori, T. and Hanson, R. K., “Detonation Studies of High- Frequency-Operation Pulse Detonation Engine with Air/Hydrogen,” 41st Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, Reno, Nevada, 2003.
12. صابری‌نژاد، ح؛ "طراحی و ساخت موتور پالس دتونیشن،" پایان‌نامه کارشناسی‌ارشد، دانشگاه صنعتی شریف، تهران، ایران، 1387.
13.  Wintenberger, E., Austin, J. M., Cooper, M., Jackson, S., and Shepherd, J. E., “An Analytical Model for the Impulse of a Single-Cycle Pulse Detonation Tube,” 37th AIAA/ASME/SAE/ASEE Joint Propulsion Conference and Exhibit, Salt Lake City, UT, 2001.
14.  Lu, F. K., and Wilson, D. R., “Some Perspectives on Pulse Detonation Propulsion Systems,” Available from: http://arc.uta.edu/publications/cp_files/1051-ISSW24.pdf