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Access Type

WSU Access

Date of Award

January 2024

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

M.S.

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Omid Samimi-Abianeh

Abstract

When a detonation wave exits a confined tube into a less confined volume, it transforms from a planar wave into a spherical wave, which can result in either failure of the propagation mechanism or successful transmission. The balance of shock propagation and energy release in the detonation diffraction represents one of the most complex and unresolved phenomena relevant to gaseous detonations. Herein, a comprehensive exploration of diffraction phenomena is undertaken. The different diffraction regimes are characterized and the effect of inert diluent on the diffraction behavior of hydrogen-oxygen-diluent mixtures is investigated. Four distinct diffraction regimes: the subcritical outcome, reinitiation from shockwave reflection, the critical regime, and the super critical outcome, are identified and discussed. With simultaneous direct photography and Schlieren imaging techniques, previously unseen details of the detonation and diffraction processes are recorded and explained. The results of experiments indicate that the detonation Damköhler number, defined as the ratio of the characteristic flow timescale to chemical timescale, is an accurate diffraction outcome predictor.

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