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Diaphragmless Single Pulse Shock Tube for High-Temperature Chemical Kinetics Studies
Published
Author(s)
William Sean McGivern, Iftikhar A. Awan, Jeffrey A. Manion
Abstract
Single pulse shock tubes are effective tools for measuring chemical kinetics at high temperatures, typically (900–1400) K. However, the use of a diaphragm for shock generation leads to significant shock-to- shock inconsistencies in temperature for a constant initial pressure ratio. Diaphragms also require replacement after each shock and demand care in cleaning to ensure that the fragments do not contaminate the apparatus. A piston-driven valve design is presented that leads to a highly reproducible post-reflected shock temperatures (0.41 % at 1147 K and 0.61 % at 967 K) in a single pulse varying from (500–1200) μs in width over the temperature range of interest. Characterization of the valve was accomplished using both shock speed measurements and independent measurements of the pulse temperature using reference thermal decomposition reactions.
McGivern, W.
, Awan, I.
and Manion, J.
(2019),
Diaphragmless Single Pulse Shock Tube for High-Temperature Chemical Kinetics Studies, Review of Scientific Instruments, [online], https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5096174
(Accessed October 10, 2025)