Gas Dynamic Unstart In Superdetonative Ram Accelerators

Kaveh Ghorbanian
James D. Sterling, Missouri University of Science and Technology

Abstract

In this paper we analyze the reflection of non-reacting shock waves as oblique detonation waves. The 2D, steady, inviscid analysis makes use of detonation polar diagrams to identify incident shock angles that lead to reflected detonations, with and without detonation Mach stem formation. The implications of the results for design and operation of superdetonative ram accelerators are explored. The influence of the projectile forebody geometry, the propellant composition, and the takeover velocity is described. We conclude with a discussion of the significance of these parameters on superdetonative ram accelerator unstart phenomena.