Numerical studies and experimental investigations on flame and detonation arresters

Detonation arresters for pipe systems have been investigated both experimentally and numerically. Different designs have been taken into consideration and valued. A new arrester concept is presented here, working on the JCA principle (Jet Controlled Arrester): The detonation front propagates in an expanding pipe section filled with burned gases and stops. To lead the way, detailed studies of hydrogen-air detonation propagation behavior associated with sudden expansion were carried out. Different mechanisms inside and outside of the detonation arresters from sustained propagation to detonation failure and re-initiation including shock and flame front decoupling and recoupling have been observed with the Schlieren technique. The shock induced flame propagation through detonation arresters has been modeled with a two step chemistry based on an induction parameter model that is adapted to a wide range of hydrogen-air mixtures and calculated on a structured two-dimensional CFD code. The numerical simulations show a good correspondence to a variety of phenomena observed in the experiments. The numerical results could also be used to reduce the experimental parameters and give an idea of an experimentally proofed prototype of a well designed detonation arrester.