Transition from Slow Burning to Detonation in Gaseous Explosives

Abstract

High-speed photographic observations have been made of flame structure, flame velocity, and shock velocity during the transition from slow burning to detonation in acetylene-oxygen mixtures contained in glass pipe at reduced pressures. During intermediate stages the dome-shaped flame travels down the tube at about 800 m/sec and is preceded by a shock wave traveling slightly faster. During the final stages of formation of the detonation wave, the flame changes shape, accelerates, and advances along the walls in an asymmetric manner. The detonation first appears at, or slightly behind, the leading edge of the flame. The final flame acceleration occurs when the Reynolds number of the mass flow between the flame and the preceding shock, based upon the distance traveled by a mass element in the time interval between passage of the shock and the flame through it, is about 107. Under these conditions the development of turbulent regions in the boundary-layer flow ahead of flame appears likely. Changes in flame configuration which result in the final acceleration and the formation of the detonation wave then arise from the faster flame propagation into these turbulent areas than into the free-stream region.