Understanding multi-regime detonation development for hydrogen and syngas fuels

Abstract

Autoignition and detonation development are foundational events in the combustion community and are fundamentally relevant to engine knocking and detonation propulsion. Autoignition-induced reaction front propagation modes have been extensively investigated, addressing the role of thermal and concentration inhomogeneities. In this work, we have further investigated the nonmonotonic response of detonation development to temperature gradients for low-carbon fuels (hydrogen and syngas) and have found additional detonation regimes, which can depict the panorama of reaction front propagation modes. Results show that separate detonation regimes can be observed when hotspot sizes are below some critical thresholds, with the first corresponding to the known “Bradley detonation peninsula” and the second newly identified featuring broader detonation regions. Despite this, distinct combustion characteristics are observed in the demarcation of detonation regimes between hydrogen and syngas fuels. Specifically, the upper branch of the first detonation regimes for hydrogen is sensitive to temperature gradients at various hotspot sizes, while it exhibits similar behaviors in the lower branch of the second one for syngas, which results in narrower detonation regions. Meanwhile, hydrogen possesses a larger critical hotspot size compared to syngas, and the underlying mechanism is ascribed to the chemical reactivity when hotspot autoignition and the difference of energy density between hotspot interior and exterior. Finally, various detonation regimes are summarized in dimensionless detonation diagrams, in which hydrogen and syngas show similar distributions of detonation peninsula. Despite this, those distinctions in the detonation characteristics between hydrogen and syngas can still be manifested quantitatively. The current work can provide useful insights into knocking inhabitation and detonation promotion.