Theoretical description of shock-wave formation in a spatially inhomogeneous combustible medium for chain-branching combustion kinetics

For combustion reactions with chain-branching kinetics, the time scales of induction and heat release vary independently and can be significantly different as well as comparable, depending on the initial conditions. A theoretical study was performed to investigate the influence of the heat-release rate and kinetics on the mechanisms and conditions of shock-wave formation in a spatially inhomogeneous combustible medium — the first step of detonation initiation in systems with an induction time gradient. The study used the transport equation method developed by the authors previously.