Numerical simulation of two-phase reactive flow with moving boundary

Abstract

Purpose – In computational fluid dynamics for two-phase reactive flow of interior ballistic, the conventional schemes (MacCormack method, etc.) are known to introduce unphysical oscillations in the region where the gradient is high. This paper aims to improve the ability to capture the complex shock wave during the interior ballistic cycle. Design/methodology/approach – A two-phase flow model is established to describe the complex physical process based on a modified two-fluid theory. The solution of model is obtained including the following key methods: an approximate Riemann solver to construct upwind fluxes, the MUSCL extension to achieve high-order accuracy, a splitting approach to solve source terms, a self-adapting method to expand the computational domain for projectile motion and a control volume conservation method for the moving boundary. Findings – The paper is devoted to applying a high-resolution numerical method to simulate a transient two-phase reactive flow with moving boundary in guns. Several verification tests demonstrate the accuracy and reliability of this approach. Simulation of two-phase reaction flow with a projectile motion in a large-caliber gun shows an excellent agreement between numerical simulation and experimental measurements. Practical implications – This paper has implications for improving the ability to capture the complex physics phenomena of two-phase flow during interior ballistic cycle and predict the combustion details, such as the flame spreading, the formation of pressure waves and so on. Originality/value – This approach is reliable as a prediction tool for the understanding of the physical phenomenon and can therefore be used as an assessment tool for future interior ballistics studies.