Liquid-fueled oblique detonation waves induced by reactive and non-reactive transverse liquid jets

TL;DR

This computational study explores how transverse liquid jets, reactive or non-reactive, induce oblique detonation waves, highlighting the influence of jet momentum ratio on detonation mechanisms and the role of chemical reactions and physical blocking.

Contribution

It introduces a detailed computational analysis of liquid-fueled oblique detonation wave formation driven by transverse jets, emphasizing the impact of jet momentum ratio and reactive versus non-reactive jets.

Findings

Lower momentum ratios promote chemical reactions leading to detonation.

Higher momentum ratios enable direct detonation initiation via shock waves.

Jet blocking effects significantly influence detonation mechanisms.

Abstract

This computational study demonstrates the formation of liquid-fueled oblique detonation waves (ODWs) induced by a liquid transverse jet, which is either reactive or non-reactive. The study employs an in-house two-phase supersonic reactive flow solver based on the rhocentralfoam framework of OpenFOAM. The findings emphasize the essential role of transverse jets in enabling successful ODW formation under conditions where detonation would otherwise fail. Specifically, the jet-inflow momentum ratio significantly influences the mechanisms of ODW formation. At lower momentum ratios, the oblique shock wave (OSW) induced by the jet is insufficient to directly initiate detonation. Instead, the atomized n-heptane jet increases the local fuel mass fraction, promoting low- and intermediate-temperature chemical reactions, which eventually lead to detonation. At higher momentum ratios, the OSW generated by the transverse jet is sufficiently strong to directly trigger detonation through intermediate-temperature chemistry, with the jet acting primarily as a combustion stabilizer rather than directly enhancing combustion. Comparative studies with non-reactive jets and wedge-strip configurations demonstrate that at higher momentum ratios, the dominant mechanism is the physical blocking effect of the jet, which generates a strong OSW capable of initiating detonation.