Abstract. Numerical simulations of detonations in cylindrical rate-sticks of highly non-ideal explosives are performed, using a simple model with a weakly pressure dependent rate law and a pseudo-polytropic equation of state. Some numerical issues with such simulations are investigated, and it is shown that very high resolution (hundreds of points in the reaction zone) are required for highly accurate (converged) solutions. High resolution simulations are then used to investigate the qualitative dependences of the detonation driving zone structure on the diameter and degree of confinement of the explosive charge. The simulation results are used to show that, given the radius of curvature of the shock at the charge axis, the steady detonation speed and the axial solution are accurately predicted by a quasi-one-dimensional theory, even for cases where the detonation propagates at speeds significantly below the Chapman-Jouguet speed. Given reaction rate and equation of state models, this quasi-one-dimensional theory offers a significant improvement to Wood-Kirkwood theories currently used in industry.
Detonations in non-ideal explosives tend to propagate significantly below the nominal one-dimensional detonation speed. In these cases, multi-dimensional effects within the reaction zone are important. A streamlinebased approach to steady-state non-ideal detonation theory is developed. It is shown in this study that, given the streamline shapes, the two-dimensional problem reduces to an ordinary differential equation eigenvalue problem along each streamline, the solution of which determines the local shock shape that, in turn, leads to the solution of the detonation speed as a function of charge diameter. A simple approximation of straight but diverging streamlines is considered. The results of the approximate theory are compared with those of high-resolution direct numerical simulations of the problem. It is shown that the straight streamline approximation is remarkably predictive of highly non-ideal explosive diameter effects. It is even predictive of failure diameters. Given this predictive capability, one potential use of the method is in the determination of rate law parameters by fitting to data from unconfined rate stick experiments. This is illustrated by using data for ammonium nitrate fuel oil explosives.
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