Deflagration to detonation transition in combustible gas mixtures

This paper presents the results of a computational investigation of the process of deflagration to detonation transition in a combustible gas mixture. The type of combustion (i.e., deflagration or detonation) supported by a two-step reaction scheme is studied as a function of the activation energies. It is shown that both a deflagration to detonation transition and a deflagration wave that lags behind a leading shock are possible. Two types of deflagration to detonation transitions are found theoretically: initiation of detonation from the flame zone and initiation of detonation along a contact discontinuity in the compressed gas near the primary shock wave.