Simulation of hydrodynamic phenomena attendant on the flame front propagation in a tube behind a piston

The propagation of a propane-air flame in a model internal combustion chamber, a tube with one or two pistons, is studied experimentally. Situations are simulated in which the flame front moves in a semiopen flat or cylindrical tube between two pistons or between a piston and the closed end of the tube. The time dependence of the flame front position and acceleration is obtained for the case of the variable tube length and combustible mixture volume. Self-oscillation conditions for the flame front and piston are determined. A relation between their amplitude-frequency characteristics is found. It is established that the piston paradox motion effect, i.e., the motion of the piston toward the flame front, depends on the length of the tube. It is demonstrated that the piston effect is related to the formation of a “tulip” flame. An explanation to the observed hydrodynamic phenomena is given.