Detonation combustion of hydrogen in a Laval nozzle under rarefied atmosphere conditions

Abstract

Detonation combustion of a hydrogen-air mixture entering an axisymmetric convergent-divergent nozzle at a supersonic velocity is considered under atmospheric conditions at altitudes up to 24 km. The investigation is carried out on the basis of the two-dimensional gasdynamic Euler equations for a multicomponent reacting gas. The limiting altitude ensuring detonation combustion in a Laval nozzle of given geometry is numerically established for freestream Mach numbers 6 and 7. The possibility of the laser initiation of detonation in a supersonic flow of a stoichiometric, preliminarily heated hydrogen-air mixture is experimentally studied. The investigation is carried out in a shock tube under conditions simulating a supersonic flow in the nozzle throat region.