Experimental study on spherically imploding detonation waves

Abstract

Spherically imploding detonation waves propagating in a stoichiometric propane-oxygen mixture in a convergent hemispherical space having an innerdiameter of 800 mm were experimentally investigated with an intention to clarify the reason for the anomalous increase of the pressure and temperature behind the imploding detonation waves observed in a smaller vessel having an inner-diameter of 360 mm. The relations between the radial distance of the detonation front, the peak pressure, spectroscopic temperature at the imploding detonation front and those behind the shock waves reflected from the implosion focus show almost the same tendencies as in the smaller convergent space. The pressure as well as the temperature at the imploding detonation front increases, with the propagation of the implosion, more rapidly than theoretically estimated. The reason for it is attributed to the double imploding detonation waves.