Cellular detonations in nano-sized aluminum particle gas suspensions

Abstract

Formation of cellular detonation structures in monodisperse nano-sized aluminum particle – oxygen suspensions is studied by methods of numerical simulations of two-dimensional detonation flows. The detonation combustion are described within the semi-empirical model developed earlier which takes into account transition of the regime of aluminum particle combustion from diffusion to kinetic for micro-sized and nano-sized particles. The free-molecular effects are considered in the processes of heat and velocity relaxation of the phases. The specific features of the cellular detonation of nanoparticle suspensions comparing with micron-sized suspensions are irregular cellular structures, much higher pick pressure values, and relatively larger detonation cells. This is due to high value of activation energy of reduced chemical reaction of aluminum particle combustion in kinetic regime.