Shock waves in an elliptical cavity with varying height

Transient shock waves in a confined elliptical chamber are experimentally investigated. Quantitative results of the pressure distribution are obtained for an air-filled cavity. Lower bounding surfaces of different geometrical shapes can be inserted making it possible to get chambers with varying height. An electrical discharge across a pair of electrodes inside the cavity gives rise to the shock waves. Double pulsed holographic interferometry is used to study the propagation and focusing process of the waves. The results are quantitatively evaluated by using the method of two-reference-beam holography. The angular pressure distribution behind the converging wave front is presented for different geometries of an air-filled cavity. The pressure distribution is non-homogeneous but symmetric along the wave front. The pressure level is higher for the geometry where the height of the chamber decreases with the radial distance from the outgoing focus and lower for increasing height of the chamber. In addition, shock waves in a water-filled cavity are studied. In this case qualitative results are obtained. Received 3 November 1996 / Accepted 5 January 1997