Detailed Simulations and Analysis of Shock Bifurcation

The interaction between the reflected shock wave and the boundary layer, that is formed by the incident shock, leads to shock bifurcation. This interaction induced inhomogeneities in the flow-field behind the reflected shock, and thereby affecting the combustion process in shock-tube ignition studies. To quantify effects of shock-bifurcation on the region behind the reflected shock, detailed simulations of a shock-tube system at high-pressure conditions are performed under consideration of detailed hydrogen reaction chemistry. Both 2D and 3D simulations are performed, and simulation results are compared against experiments and low-order shock-bifurcation models. To isolate relevant physical processes, additional simulations for different operating conditions, mixture-compositions, and adiabatic and isothermal walls are conducted, and results of this investigation are discussed in this presentation.