Specific gasdynamical features of spontaneous condensation in an unsteady rarefaction wave

On the basis of numerical modeling, the formation of an unsteady shock wave induced by a condensation shock in a rarefaction wave moving in the high-pressure channel of a shock tube filled with moist air is demonstrated. It is shown that in a fairly long channel a periodic structure consisting of an alternating sequence of condensation shocks and the shock waves they generate may be formed. This structure is a linear unsteady analog of the self-oscillation regime of type IV in the classification 1] for condensing medium flows in the subsonic section of a Laval nozzle. The specific features detected are important for planning and interpreting experiments aimed at investigating spontaneous condensation using a “condensation shock tube”.