Resolving Cellular Structures of an Oblique Detonation Wave Using High-Order Finite Volume Methods With Adaptive Mesh Refinement

A fourth-order finite volume algorithm (FVM) in space and time is used to study the cellular structure of a two-dimensional oblique detonation wave (ODW) generated by a stoichiometric hydrogen and reactive oxygen species (ROS) combustion process occurring at the tip of a wedge with a 23.8 degree turning angle. Previous numerical studies have provided minimal insights into the formation and dynamics of these unstable cellular structures due to the prohibitively high computational cost associated with the fine mesh resolutions required to capture these phenomena. To address this, adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) was utilized to resolve regions of the flow containing complex interactions. Results of the simulation successfully captured the formation and interaction of multiple unsteady, cell-like ODW front structures. In addition, the numerical study resolved detonation substructures including transverse shock waves, slip lines, and triple points.