Defining Burning, Deflagration, and Detonation

For a long time, the lines between different types of combustion – from simple burning to a rapid deflagration and a powerful detonation – have been surprisingly blurry. While these are all points on the same spectrum, scientists have lacked a clear, observable way to distinguish where one ends and the next begins.

A study by Alford Technologies Managing Director, Roland Alford, et al. has now brought new clarity to this field. They have pinpointed the exact moments these transitions occur by identifying their telltale signs.

A New Framework for Combustion

The paper establishes a concrete framework for what it calls the Combustion Continuum. The continuum is divided into three regions: burning, deflagration, and detonation.

• Burning to Deflagration: For the first time, there is a clear, observable definition for this transition. The moment a reaction stops being ‘burning’ and becomes a ‘deflagration’ is the instant an atmospheric shock wave first appears.
• Deflagration to Detonation: This transition was already well understood. It happens when the reaction front accelerates and strengthens into a shock-driven detonation.

This is a significant shift from previous models, which treated these as related but vaguely defined processes. By providing concrete definitions, this research makes it possible to identify and classify these powerful reactions precisely.

Dive deeper into the science and read the full research article.

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