Combustion process
The combustion process is an exothermic chemical reaction of a chemical with oxygen. In the context of combustion cannons, this refers to the reaction of a fuel, usually a hydrocarbon (ussually propane) with atmospheric oxygen, producing carbon dioxide, water, and heat. The heat produces sufficient pressure to propel the projectile out the barrel.
This burning takes place mostly on the "flame front", a stereotypicaly shell-shaped region that spreads outwards from the igniton scource. Tecniques used by some to encorouge the rapid spread of this flame front (to decrease the time it takes to combust all the fuel-air mixture, allowing the gasses to reach peak pressure quickly, which has been shown to improve preformance, especial on short-barrel launchers.) Include:
- multiple ignition points, allowing multiple flame fronts; usualy accomplished via a spark strip.
- inducing turbulance into the flow contaning the flame front.
The latter is not a well established way of doing things, but the lattest attempt by DR shows promise; an adaptation of the jet igniton idea, in which an inhearently turbulent spire of flame is squirted into the main chamber through a small orfice.
Tools and Information on the combustion process can be found at these links:
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