Strange wave formation and detonation onset in narrow channels

Experiments are conducted in a smooth 10 x 10 mm square cross-section, 1-m long channel, closed at the ignition end and open at the other end. Simultaneous two-direction schlieren visualization is used to investigate the three-dimensional dynamics of transition to detonation for a stoichiometric H2-O2 mixture. Results show the existence of two distinct structures before detonation onset: (i) asymmetric, composed of an oblique shock trailed by a flame, that runs preferentially along the wall, and seems to get ignited inside the boundary layer developed by the precursor shock; (ii) symmetric, referred to as strange wave in literature, propagating roughly at the speed of sound in combustion products. The combined effect of shock induced preheating and viscous heating near walls seem to be responsible for the formation of the complex flame-shock interactions observed. A simple thermodynamic analysis applied to the strange wave using the experimentally measured wave speed yield a pressure ratio of similar to 15 during its steady propagation; furthermore, an estimate of the total energy losses required to thermodynamically realize such propagation regime revealed that approximately half of the energy released by combustion should be dissipated (i.e. momentum and heat losses). Finally, simultaneous two-direction optical access allows to map the exact location of detonation onset, showing that 78 % of cases exploded in corners, highlighting the role of corner flows and boundary layers in transition to detonation at this scale.