Attenuation of weak shock waves along pseudo-perforated walls

In order to attenuate weak shock waves in ducts, effects of pseudo-perforated walls were investigated. Pseudo-perforated walls are defined as wall perforations having a closed cavity behind it. Shock wave diffraction and reflection created by these perforations were visualized in a shock tube by using holographic interferometer, and also by numerical simulation. Along the pseudo-perforated wall, an incident shock wave attenuates and eventually turns into a sound wave. Due to complex interactions of the incident shock wave with the perforations, the overpressure behind it becomes non-uniform and its peak value can locally exceed that behind the undisturbed incident shock wave. However, its pressure gradient monotonically decreases with the shock wave propagation. Effects of these pseudo-perforated walls on the attenuation of weak shock waves generated in high speed train tunnels were studied in a 1/250-scaled train tunnel simulator. It is concluded that in order to achieve a practically effective suppression of the tunnel sonic boom the length of the pseudo-perforation section should be sufficiently long. Received 23 June 1997 / Accepted 16 September 1997