The spiral tube structure is an effective method to shorten the axial length of the pulse detonation chamber. In this article, spiral pulsed detonation tube with two kinds of spiral configuration was experimentally investigated. Liquid gasoline and air were used as fuel and oxidant, respectively, and equivalence ratios were controlled to about 1.0. Based on the transient pressure along the tube, the propagation characteristics of the pressure waves in the multi-cycle spiral pulsed detonation tubes, such as pressure peaks, wave velocities and propagation process, were analyzed. Results showed that propagation of double compression waves was the common feature during the process of deflagration to detonation transition in the presented spiral tubes, and the onset of detonation was initiated by a local explosion in the second compression wave. The deflagration to detonation transition characteristics with detonation initiation and combustion characteristics without initiation in the spiral sections were both related to the dimensionless distance. Propagation characteristics of the pressure waves were influenced by the use of different spiral configuration. And some interesting phenomena were also found.
