Be. Gelfand et al., Detonation and deflagration initiation at the focusing of shock waves in combustible gaseous mixture, SHOCK WAVES, 10(3), 2000, pp. 197-204
Detonation and deflagration initiation under focusing conditions in a lean
hydrogen-air mixture was experimentally investigated. The experiments were
carried out in a shock tube equipped with the laser schlieren system and pr
essure transducers. Two-dimensional wedges (53 degrees and 90 degrees), sem
i-cylinder and parabola, were used as the focusing elements. The peculiarit
ies of mild and strong ignition inside the reflector cavity were visualized
. A hydrogen-nitrogen mixture was taken for comparison between reactive and
inert mixture. It was found that mild ignition inside the reflector cavity
can lead to detonation initiation outside the cavity. Schlieren pictures o
f the process were obtained and the dependence of the distance of detonatio
n initiation on Mach number of the incident shock wave was established.