Existence condition for detonations in condensed explosives with pressure–temperature equilibrium models

Most engineering tools dealing with detonation waves in condensed explosives are based on the reactive Euler equations, which involve a thermodynamic closure based on temperature and pressure equilibrium conditions. Indeed, the reactant and the detonation products are assumed to evolve in mechanical and thermal equilibrium. Although the assumption of thermal equilibrium is physically questionable, the reactive Euler equations are used for convenience. This choice is supported by several reasons. When considering thermal equilibrium, the assessment of thermal exchanges between the reactant and the detonation products is simplified, as no exchange coefficient needs to be determined. Furthermore, the reactive Euler equations are in conservative form and the shock relations are well-defined. This model appears to be the simplest option for addressing detonations in condensed explosives. However, this simplicity has limitations and conceals a subtle difficulty that can lead to pathological detonations. The present contribution investigates this difficulty and presents a global exothermic condition to preserve exothermic detonations in the frame of temperature–pressure equilibrium flow models. This condition depends on the equations of state only. It is independent of the kinetics used to model the decomposition of the explosive. By meticulously selecting the thermodynamic parameters of the equations of state for the reactant and detonation products, pathological detonations are prevented, thereby maintaining a globally exothermic reaction consistent with the Zeldovich–von Neumann–Döring theory.