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A conjugate axisymmetric model of a high-pressure shock-tube facility

Mouna Lamnaouer (Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA)
Alain Kassab (Department of Mechanical, Materials, and Aerospace Engineering, University of Central Florida, Orlando, Florida, USA)
Eduardo Divo (Mechanical Engineering Department, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona Beach, Florida, USA, and)
Nolan Polley (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA)
Rodrigo Garza-Urquiza (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA)
Eric Petersen (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas, USA)

International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow

ISSN: 0961-5539

Article publication date: 29 April 2014

232

Abstract

Purpose

An axisymmetric shock-tube model of the high-pressure shock-tube facility at the Texas A&M University has been developed. The shock tube is non-conventional with a non-uniform cross-section and features a driver section with a smaller diameter than the driven section. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Design/methodology/approach

Computations were carried out based on the finite volume approach and the AUSM+ flux-differencing scheme. The adaptive mesh refinement algorithm was applied to the time-dependent flow fields to accurately capture and resolve the shock and contact discontinuities as well as the very fine scales associated with the viscous effects. The incorporation of a conjugate heat transfer model enhanced the credibility of the results.

Findings

The shock-tube model is validated with simulation of the bifurcation phenomenon and with experimental data. The model is shown to be capable of accurately simulating the shock and expansion wave propagations and reflections as well as the flow non-uniformities behind the reflected shock wave as a result of reflected shock/boundary layer interaction or bifurcation. The pressure profiles behind the reflected shock wave agree with the experimental results.

Originality/value

This paper presents one of the first studies to model the entire flow field history of a non-uniform diameter shock tube with a conjugate heat transfer model beginning from the bursting of the diaphragm while simultaneously resolving the fine features of the reflected shock-boundary layer interaction and the post-shock region near the end-wall, at conditions useful for chemical kinetics experiments. An important discovery from this study is the possible existence of hot spots in the end-wall region that could lead to early non-homogeneous ignition events. More experimental and numerical work is needed to quantify the hot spots.

Keywords

Citation

Lamnaouer, M., Kassab, A., Divo, E., Polley, N., Garza-Urquiza, R. and Petersen, E. (2014), "A conjugate axisymmetric model of a high-pressure shock-tube facility", International Journal of Numerical Methods for Heat & Fluid Flow, Vol. 24 No. 4, pp. 873-890. https://doi.org/10.1108/HFF-02-2013-0070

Publisher

:

Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2014, Emerald Group Publishing Limited

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