On the interaction between a detonation wave and an inert gas plug: A numerical investigation

Abstract

Employing inert gases to attenuate and obstruct the propagation of detonation waves has proven to be an effective strategy for mitigating potential damage in the realm of industrial safety, which involves complex physical and chemical mechanisms. This study utilizes an in-house solver built on the OpenFOAM platform to examine the interaction between a detonation wave and an inert gas plug of various lengths. The results reveal that as the length of the inert gas plug increases, various detonation states emerge downstream of the gas plug, and an exponential relationship is observed between the detonation re-initiation distance and the gas plug's length. In the process of detonation re-initiation, the non-isentropic process within the viscous boundary layer plays a crucial role in initiating the flames at the upper and lower channel walls. Later, the collision between flames initiates the detonation wave. Additionally, a localized detonation can also be triggered through the interaction between the compression wave and the wall. Notably, the impingements of the detonation wave and the transmitted shock wave induce the mixing and downstream motion of the gas plug. In the presence of the detonation re-initiation, the motion patterns of the left and right interfaces of the gas plug can be categorized into two distinct stages, which are mainly because of the impingement of backpropagation expansion waves and the hindrance of the high pressure generated by the detonation re-initiation, respectively. Also, as the length of the inert gas plug increases, the velocity difference between the two stages gradually decreases.