Water-Channel Analog to High-Velocity Combustion

Abstract

Abstract This paper is a sequel to one presented in 1951, by the author (1). It was shown that during the development of detonation, the combustion zone which appears first in a unidimensional flow field as a single discontinuity, is later transformed into an unsteady, double discontinuity system, and it was demonstrated that such a transformation is necessary because of the restrictions imposed on the system by the dynamic boundary conditions. In the water channel the combustion-front discontinuity is simulated by a unidimensional source formed by admitting water from the bottom. By a proper selection of state parameters analogous relationships are derived to those between pressure and specific volume in a gaseous combustion system. Thus the consequences of restrictions imposed by dynamic boundary conditions on the propagation of combustion are illustrated in an analogous system which, being simpler in nature, is easier to understand. Moreover, the water-channel analog is utilized as an illustrative model of a system where controlled, stationary detonation could be achieved.