Numerical simulations of detonation propagation in gaseous fuel-air mixtures

ORAL

Abstract

Unsteady multidimensional numerical simulations of detonation propagation and survival in mixtures of fuel (hydrogen or methane) diluted with air were carried out with a fully compressible Navier-Stokes solver using a simplified chemical-diffusive model (CDM). The CDM was derived using a genetic algorithm combined with the Nelder-Mead optimization algorithm and reproduces physically correct laminar flame and detonation properties. Cases studied are overdriven detonations propagating through confined mediums, with or without gradients in composition. Results from simulations confirm that the survival of the detonation depends on the channel heights. In addition, the simulations show that the propagation of the detonation waves depends on the steepness in composition gradients.

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Authors

  • Praveen Honhar

    University of Maryland

  • Carolyn Kaplan

    University of Maryland

  • Ryan Houim

    Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, University of Florida, University of Maryland

  • Elaine Oran

    Department of Aerospace Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, University of Maryland, College Park, University of Maryland