A Study on Initiation Processes of Gaseous Detonation in Methane/Oxygen Mixtures

Abstract

Initiation processes of gaseous detonation waves were observed experimentally in a tube. Gases to be tested were methane/oxygen mixtures of various initial compositions. The initiation was performed by blast waves caused by gaseous detonations of initiator gases which were stoichiometric oxyhydrogen mixtures at various initial pressures, the initiation energies of which were estimated by the method developed by the authors. The initiation energies were estimated from the experimental result of the decay of an inert planar blast wave produced by the initiator by utilizing the point source blast wave theory. The critical initiation energies were evaluated for the near limit composition of the mixture. In the initiation processed, local explosions were observed which played an important role under the critical condition, which was produced not only by the effect of the leading shock wave but also by that of the detonation products of the driver gas.