Supersonic Combustion.

The report contains research results obtained from experimental and theoretical studies of subsonic and supersonic combustion phenomena pertaining to ramjet-combustors. A theoretical model has been developed for predicting the transition of one-dimensional deflagration waves to stable detonation waves. According to preliminary results deflagrations passing through hydrogen-bromine mixtures do not lead to detonation waves. However, experiments have shown that Chapman-Jouguet detonation waves are obtained in these mixtures when ignition occurs by shock waves. Induction distances predicted by the theory for hydrogen-oxygen mixtures agree with experimentally observed values. The detonation speeds and pressures of a 11 by volume hydrogen-bromine mixture were calculated and measured experimentally in shock tubes. The laminar flame speed of a hydrogen-air mixture was determined for initial gas temperatures ranging from 300 to 784. Modified author abstract