Generalized and exact solutions for oblique shock waves of real gases with application to real air

Calculation of the oblique shock wave of real gases is a difficult and time consuming problem because it involves numerical solution of a set of 10 equations, two of which (i.e., the equation of state and enthalpy function)—if available—are of a very complicated algebraic form. The present work presents a generalized method for calculating oblique shock waves of real gases, based on the Redlich-Kwong equation of state. Also described is an exact method applicable when the exact equation of state and enthalpy function of a real gas are available. Application of the generalized and the exact methods in the case of real air showed that the former is very accurate and at least twenty times faster than the latter. An additional contribution of the study is the derivation of real gas oblique shock wave equations, which are of the same algebraic form as the well known ideal gas normal shock wave relations.