Detonation behaviors in a curved tube with and without an obstacle

Experiments were conducted to investigate detonation propagation in a curved tube filled with stoichiometric 2H\(_{2}+\)O\(_{2}+\)7Ar and CH\(_{4}+\)2O\(_{2}\). The test section of the experimental setup was a semicircular channel with an internal radius of 500 mm. Detonation velocities were calculated based on the arrival time of the wave front, monitored by pressure transducers. The detonation cellular evolution was recorded using smoked foils. The results revealed that after crossing the obstacle, the detonation wave failed and promptly re-initiated. It then decayed from an overdriven detonation to a steady-state detonation. The detonation development processes were divided into five regimes. The formation of the boundary behind the obstacle and the generation mechanism of the overdriven detonation were thoroughly analyzed. The formation of the boundary behind the obstacle is associated with the curved shock front and the non-uniform cellular structure. The re-initiation distance for an unstable mixture in a curved tube was significantly shorter than that in a straight channel. In the absence of the obstacle, the cell width decreased radially outward, a linear relationship was determined. The speed of the detonation wave initially decreased and then gradually increased.