Numerical simulations of pre-detonation ignition of pulse detonation engines

Abstract

Two-dimensional numerical simulations are performed to study pre-detonation ignition of pulse detonation engines. The effects of the way of installment and the geometry of the pre-detonators on detonation transmission are studied and discussed. The pre-detonators are installed at the close end of the main detonation tube in two basic ways: either in parallel with or perpendicular to the main detonation tube. The results indicate that the perpendicular arrangement is better than the parallel one because the reflected shock waves play an important role in detonation transmission. The results also demonstrate that the diameter ratio of the pre-detonator to the main detonation tube is a very important parameter. The length of the pre-detonator is much less important than its diameter. For the case of the same mixtures, if the diameter is smaller than the critical diameter, detonation transmission cannot be assured by increasing the length of the pre-detonation tube alone.