Shock wave reflection off coupled surfaces

It has been shown that when a plane shock wave is reflected off a surface consisting of a 75-mm radius circular arc followed by a plane section inclined at 45°, it takes some time for the interaction to reach a pseudosteady reflection configuration. The current study extends this work at a constant Mach number of 1.346, with three compound walls, consisting of leading circular sections of 30, 50 and 75 mm radius, joined to a plane wall section. Testing was done at various wall angles for each of the test pieces. The reflected wave angle was measured and was found to increase along the plane wall section until it reached an asymptotic value, at which time pseudosteady flow was established. The asymptotic values are consistent with reflection off plane wedges and are independent of the leading radius. For lower wall angles which lead to Mach reflection the length required to reach pseudosteady flow increases as the wall angle increases to the pseudosteady transition angle. The reverse occurs when the final pseudosteady reflection is regular, in that as the wall angle increases the distance travelled to reach pseudosteady flow conditions decreases. Additional tests were conducted on a specimen consisting of a plane section at 60° wall angle with 30-mm radius circular arc sections at either end. It is demonstrated how the information from the two slope changes influences the shape of the reflected shock. The trajectories of two perturbations on the reflected shock arising from the joints between the circular sections and the plane wall show that the reflected wave remains linear between these two points, as it received no knowledge from either circular section until the perturbations from the upper and lower joints cross.     

Counterexamples to the Sonic Criterion

We consider self-similar (pseudo-steady) shock reflection at an oblique wall. There are three parameters: wall corner angle, Mach number, angle of incident shock. Ever since Ernst Mach discovered the irregular reflection named after him, researchers have sought to predict precisely for which parameters the reflection is regular. Three conflicting proposals—the detachment, sonic and von Neumann criteria—have been studied extensively without a clear result. We demonstrate that the sonic criterion is not correct. We consider polytropic potential flow and prove that there is an open nonempty set of parameters that admit a global regular reflection with a reflected shock that is transonic. We also provide a clear physical reason: the flow type (sub- or supersonic) is not decisive; instead the reflected shock type (weak or strong) determines whether structural perturbations decay towards the reflection point.     

An experimental investigation of the sonic criterion for transition from regular to Mach reflection of weak shock waves

The signal speed, namely the local sound speed plus the flow velocity, behind the reflected shocks produced by the interaction of weak shock waves (M _i < 1.4) with rigid inclined surfaces has been measured for several shock strengths close to the point of transition from regular to Mach reflection. The signal speed was measured using piezo-electric transducers, and with a multiple schlieren system to photograph acoustic signals created by a spark discharge behind a small aperture in the reflecting surfaces. Both methods yielded results with equal values within experimental error. The theoretical signal speeds behind regularly reflected shocks were calculated using a non-stationary model, and these agreed with the measured results at large angles of incidence. As the angle of incidence was reduced, for the same incident shock Mach number, so as to approach the point of transition from regular to Mach reflection, the measured values of the signal speed deviated significantly from the theoretical predictions. It was found, within experimental uncertainty, that transition from regular to Mach reflection occurred at the experimentally observed sonic point, namely, when the signal speed was equal to the speed of the reflection point along the reflecting surface. This sonic condition did not coincide with the theoretical value.     

Supersonic Inviscid Corner Flows with Regular and Irregular Shock Interaction

The results of a numerical and analytical investigation of steady-state supersonic inviscid flows in corners formed by intersecting compression wedges are presented. The flows considered are symmetric about the corner bisector. The distinctive features of flow pattern formation related with the reflection of wedge-generated shocks from the bisector plane are studied. The wedge angles at which transition from regular to irregular shock reflection occurs are determined both numerically and analytically using the criteria available for plane flows; the data thus obtained are found to be in agreement. Flow patterns with irregular shock reflection, namely, single, transitional, and double Mach, as well as von Neumann reflection, are identified; they are similar to the known types of reflection for plane quasi-steady-state flows. Varieties of these types not observed in the plane flows are found to exist. The effects of the angle of inclination of the plane surfaces of the corner to the freestream direction, the sweep angle of the leading edges, and the dihedral angle are investigated. Some previously unknown parameters of corner configurations for which transition may occur in accordance with the von Neumann criterion are determined.     

Three-dimensional effects on regular reflection in steady supersonic flows

The reflection of shock waves between two symmetrical wedges is investigated for the case of three-dimensional flows. Oblique shadowgraphs at various optical angles of yaw and pitch were used to examine the nature of fully three-dimensional flows, with wedge aspect ratios as low as 0.25 being considered. These images were used to construct surface models of the overall flow field for various reflection patterns and aspect ratios, which provides a visual indication of the flow field shape. For a Mach number of 3.1, and suitable wedge angles, the flow field with regular reflection on the tunnel centreline and Mach reflection further out is examined. The point of transition from regular reflection to the peripheral Mach surfaces is identified for various wedge angles and aspect ratios. It is shown that the transition points move outwards from the central plane as the aspect ratio decreases. This shows that three-dimensional flows favor regular reflection, because of the increasing curvature of the incident shock as the wedge becomes narrower, causing a decrease in the local angle of incidence. The height of the Mach stem is shown to be highly dependent on the geometry of the test wedge models. The Mach stem height decreases with aspect ratio due to the three-dimensional relieving effect, where the increase in lateral flow relieves the pressure over the surfaces of the wedges. Experimental evidence of the existence of the strong oblique shock solution in steady flows is presented.Received: 7 July 2003, Revised: 20 October 2003, Accepted: 6 November 2003, Published online: 10 February 2004PACS: 47.40.Nm Correspondence to: B.W. Skews     

Interaction of a plane shock wave with slitted wedges

An experimental and numerical study was made of shock wave transition over slitted wedges. Experiments were conducted in a shock tube by using double exposure holographic interferometry. Shock Mach numbers ranged from 1.07 to 3.03 in air. Slitted wedge models having perforation ratios of 0.34 and 0.4 were installed in the test section. The critical transition angle was obtained analytically by the shock polar analysis where effects of boundary conditions, wall suction, and surface roughness were empirically taken into account. As the results, it was found that for stronger shock waves and a perforation ratio of 0.4, the critical transition angle was decreased by about 10° in comparison to the detachment criterion. A flow visualization study clarified various wave interaction mechanisms associated with the wall suction. The critical transition angle was successfully explained by the shock polar analysis. The PLM numerical simulation was also conducted. The numerical result agreed very well with the experimental findings.     

Diffuse holographic interferometric observation of shock wave reflection from a skewed wedge

The pattern of shock wave reflection over a wedge is, in general, either a regular reflection or a Mach reflection, depending on wedge angles, shock wave Mach numbers, and specific heat ratios of gases. However, regular and Mach reflections can coexist, in particular, over a three-dimensional wedge surface, whose inclination angles locally vary normal to the direction of shock propagation. This paper reports a result of diffuse double exposure holographic interferometric observations of shock wave reflections over a skewed wedge surface placed in a 100 × 180 mm shock tube. The wedge consists of a straight generating line whose local inclination angle varies continuously from 30° to 60°. Painting its surface with fluorescent spray paint and irradiating its surface with a collimated object beam at a time interval of a few microseconds, we succeeded in visualizing three-dimensional shock reflection over the skewed wedge surface. Experiments were performed at shock Mach numbers, 1.55, 2.02, and 2.53 in air. From reconstructed holographic images, we estimated critical transition angles at these shock wave Mach numbers and found that these were very close to those over straight wedges. This is attributable to the flow three-dimensionality.      

激波在不同三角楔面内传播特性的数值研究

激波在收缩管内的反射与聚焦会形成高温高压区,点燃可燃混合气并诱导爆轰,因此对爆轰发动机的点火具有重要意义。本文基于二维N-S方程,结合五阶WENO格式,对马赫数为6的正激波在三角形楔面内的反射与聚焦现象进行了数值研究。结果表明,楔面顶角的变化对激波的反射类型以及聚焦均有明显的影响:随着顶角的增加,激波的反射类型从马赫反射向过渡马赫反射和双马赫反射转变,且壁面上的前向射流更加明显;三波点第一次碰撞产生的高温高压区足够满足可燃混合气体的点火条件,且其温度与压力值随顶角的增加而增大;当激波在楔面上发生临界双马赫反射时,温度与压力达到最大;当顶角增加到一定值时,激波在楔面反射转变为常规反射,不会产生激波对碰,因而没有高温高压区。     

Numerical simulation for nonstationary Mach reflection of a shock wave: A kinetic-model approach

A numerical simulation was performed for the process of formation of single Mach reflection on a wedge by solving a BGK type kinetic equation for the reduced distribution function with a finite difference scheme. The calculations were carried out for a shock Mach number 2.75 and wedge angle 25° in a monatomic gas, which corresponds to the conditions of single Mach reflection in the classical von Neumann theory. The calculations were performed for both diffuse and specular reflection of molecules at the wall surface. It is concluded that the diffuse reflection of molecules at the wall surface or the existence of the viscous or thermal layer is an essential factor for a nonstationary process at the initial stage of Mach reflection. Furthermore, the numerical results for diffuse reflection are found to simulate the experimental results very well, such as a transient process from regular reflection to Mach reflection along with shock propagation.This article was processed using Springer-Verlag T_EX Shock Waves macro package 1990.     

Investigation of the hysteresis phenomena in steady shock reflection using kinetic and continuum methods

The problem of transition of planar shock waves over straight wedges in steady flows from regular to Mach reflection and back was numerically studied by the DSMC method for solving the Boltzmann equation and finite difference method with FCT algorithm for solving the Euler equations. It is shown that the transition from regular to Mach reflection takes place in accordance with detachment criterion while the opposite transition occurs at smaller angles. The hysteresis effect was observed at increasing and decreasing shock wave angle. Received September 1, 1995 / Accepted November 20, 1995     

Analytical and numerical investigations of the reflection of asymmetric nonstationary shock waves

The reflection of asymmetric nonstationary shock waves is analytically and numerically studied in this paper. An analytical approach, which is a combination of the shock dynamic and shock polar methods, is advanced to predict the reflection wave configurations. The numerical simulations are performed by the finite volume method based on the second-order MUSCL-Hancock scheme and the HLLC approximate Riemann solver, with the self-adaptive unstructured mesh. It is found that the transition between the overall regular reflection and overall Mach reflection in the asymmetric nonstationary reflection agrees with the detachment criterion, which is analogous to the reflection in pseudo-steady flows (i.e. shock reflection over a wedge). Some special reflection wave configurations, which have never been observed in steady or nonstationary shock reflections so far, are found to exist in this asymmetric reflection. Furthermore, the domains and boundaries of various overall reflection wave configurations are analytically predicted, and the effect of mis-synchronization is also discussed.     

Oblique reflection of shock waves from rigid porous materials

A study to determine the general gas dynamic behaviour associated with the impact of a shock wave on a porous wedge has been undertaken. A number of interesting features are noted. The pattern of wave reflection is shown to be significantly affected by the inflow of gas into the wedge. This has the effect of reducing the triple point trajectory angle for cases of Mach reflection and for strongly reducing the reflection angle in regular reflection. The permeability of the wedge has a significant effect on the strength of the reflected wave and in some cases this wave can be attenuated to the extent that it is almost eradicated. Pressure measurements taken under the wedge are characterized by oscillations which are of similar shape, for a given wedge, over a range of shock wave Mach numbers. It is shown that the wave transmitted into the wedge is attenuated to varying degrees depending on the material properties, and that for weak incident waves the mean propagation velocity can be less than the sound speed in the pore fluid. Photographs taken using a specially constructed wedge which allows the transmitted wave to be visualised, show that the transmitted wave is nearly plane.This article was processed using Springer-Verlag T_EX Shock Waves macro package 1.0 and the AMS fonts, developed by the American Mathematical Society.     

Shock wave propagation into a surface depression

An aircraft travelling at supersonic speeds close to the ground generates a bow wave which is reflected off the ground surface. If a valley is traversed a complex reflection pattern will be generated. Similar patterns will evolve with a plane wave traversing a depression on a surface or structure. To simulate the process a planar shock wave, generated in a shock tube, is moved over several notched wedge configurations. Schlieren photographs were produced to assist in identifying the resulting complex three-dimensional wave structures and then verified and extended by three- dimensional computations. The valley geometries investigated are rectangular, triangular, parabolic and conical with a number of valley floor inclinations. The main features are extracted in surface models to demonstrate the complexity of the flow, and in particular in the case where the reflection is regular on the ground plane and Mach reflection in the valley.      

A numerical study of oblique shock wave reflections over wedges in an ideal quantum gas

The various oblique shock wave reflection patterns generated by a moving incident shock on a planar wedge using an ideal quantum gas model are numerically studied using a novel high resolution quantum kinetic flux splitting scheme. With different incident shock Mach numbers and wedge angles as flow parameters, four different types of reflection patterns, namely, the regular reflection, simple Mach reflection, complex Mach reflection and the double Mach reflection as in the classical gas can be classified and observed. Both Bose–Einstein and Fermi–Dirac gases are considered.      

爆轰波在楔面上反射数值分析

应用基元反应模型和频散可控耗散格式(DCD)对氢氧爆轰波在楔面反射进行了数值模拟,计算中氢氧混合物的化学反应采用了8种组分20个反应方程式,在处理化学反应引起的刚性问题时采用了时间算子分裂的方法,模拟了爆轰波在楔面反射由马赫反射向规则反射转变的过程,得到了反射转变临界角,同时考虑了初始压力和组分的影响,并和实验及理论分析结果进行了比较,结果是令人满意的。     

Regular reflection of a magnetohydrodynamic shock wave from a conducting wall

In two-dimensional supersonic gasdynamics, one of the classical steady-state problems, which include shock waves and other discontinuities, is the problem concerning the oblique reflection of a shock wave from a plane wall. It is well known [1–3] that two types of reflection are possible: regular and Mach. The problem concerning the regular reflection of a magnetohydrodynamic shock wave from an infinitely conducting plane wall is considered here within the scope of ideal magnetohydrodynamics [4]. It is supposed that the magnetic field, normal to the wall, is not equal to zero. The solution of the problem is constructed for incident waves of different types (fast and slow). It is found that, depending on the initial data, the solution can have a qualitatively different nature. In contrast from gasdynamics, the incident wave is reflected in the form of two waves, which can be centered rarefaction waves. A similar problem for the special case of the magnetic field parallel to the flow was considered earlier in [5, 6]. The normal component of the magnetic field at the wall was equated to zero, the solution was constructed only for the case of incidence of a fast shock wave, and the flow pattern is similar in form to that of gasdynamics. The solution of the problem concerning the reflection of a shock wave constructed in this paper is necessary for the interpretation of experiments in shock tubes [7–10].Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 3, pp. 102–109, May–June, 1977.The author thanks A. A. Barmin, A. G. Kulikovskii, and G. A. Lyubimov for useful discussion of the results obtained.     

Mach reflection of a plane shock wave passing a mountain of 45° inclination

The transition from regular reflection (RR) to Mach reflection (MR) as a plane shock wave diffracts around a triangular mountain of 45° inclination is analysed in this paper, both by optical measurement in a shock tube and by numerical simulation the numerical method developed by Li Yingfan^[1] is of the FLIC type with triangular mesh. The dependence of the critical transition point Lk ofRR→MR on shock Mach numberM _i is analyzed and the variations of the incidence angle ω _i of the impinging shock and the reflection angle ω _r with the distanceL ^* are investigated. Our experimental and numerical results agree well with the theoretical results of Iton and Italya.     

Oblique shock wave with sweep

An attached planar, oblique shock with sweep is investigated for the inviscid flow of a perfect gas. The ratio of specific heats, freestream Mach number, and wedge angle in the plane of the freestream velocity are prescribed, with the sweep angle as a free parameter. Explicit relations are provided for jump and detachment conditions. A number of trends, some non-intuitive, are discussed, e.g., the downstream Mach number may increase with sweep.     

Non-uniqueness of solutions in asymptotically self-similar shock reflections

The present study addresses the self-similar problem of unsteady shock reflection on an inclined wedge. The start-up conditions are studied by modifying the wedge corner and allowing for a finite radius of curvature. It is found that the type of shock reflection observed far from the corner, namely regular or Mach reflection, depends intimately on the start-up condition, as the flow “remembers” how it was started. Substantial differences were found. For example, the type of shock reflection for an incident shock Mach number $M=6.6$ and an isentropic exponent $\gamma =1.2$ changes from regular to Mach reflection between $44^\circ $ and $45^\circ $ when a straight wedge tip is used, while the transition for an initially curved wedge occurs between $57^\circ $ and $58^\circ $ .     

Application of streak camera photography for the study of shock wave reflections over a double wedge

The streak camera technique was employed to investigate the reflection process of a planar shock wave over a double wedge. It is shown that this technique is superior to others in precisely determining whether a Mach reflection is direct, stationary or inverse. Furthermore, it provides an excellent means of exactly determining the location of the regular to Mach reflection transition over a double wedge.