Detonation Parameters for the Hydrogen-Chlorine System

Abstract

Detonation velocity, pressure, cell size, and critical tube diameter were measured simultaneously in four hydrogen-chlorine mixtures. The experiment consisted of a 50 mm diameter tube, 1.5 m long connected to a cylindrical chamber, 150 mm in diameter and 30 cm long. The mixture compositions studied covered the range of 36-60% H2-C12 and initial pressures po = 10-180 Torr. The measured detonation velocities and pressures invariably are above the calculated equilibrium Chapman-Jouguet levels and thereby appear to be in agreement with the predictions of Guenoche et al. , who concluded that H2~Cl2 detonations fall in the realm of pathological detonations. Detonation cell size results exhibit the characteristic U-shaped behavior as a function of mixture composition similar to other detonable systems. The results also show the usual inverse dependence of cell size on initial pressure. Based on cell size measurements, the relative detonation sensitivity of the stoichiometric H2-C12 mixture is comparable to that for stoichiometric ethylene-oxygen. Critical tube diameter measurements indicate that the dc = 13A law holds for the hydrogen-chlorine system. Predictions of critical energy for direct initiation as deduced from cell size data are in good agreement with the available experimental measurements .