Northwestern Polytechnical School of Aeronautics

University Institute of Fluid Mechanics

CHAPTER 9

OBLIQUE SHOCK AND

EXPANSION WAVES

Examples

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9.1 Introduction

Example 9.1
A supersonic airplane is flying at Mach 2 at an altitude of 16
km. Assume the shock wave pattern from the airplane quickly
coalesces into a Mach wave that intersects the ground behind
the airplane, causing a “sonic boom” to be heard by a
bystander on the ground. At the instant the sonic boom is
heard, how far ahead of the bystander is the airplane?
Solution:
1 1
 sin  1 sin  1   30
M  2
16km
tan  
d
16km 16
d  27.7 km
tan  0.577

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

Example 9.2
Consider a supersonic flow with M=2, p=1 atm, and T=288K.
This flow is deflected at a compression corner through 20o.
Calculate M, P, T, p0 and T0 behind the resulting oblique shock
wave.
Solution:
From figure 9.9, for M1 = M1=2, and θ=20o, β=53.4o.
Hence Mn,1=M1sinβ=2sin53.4o=1.606. From Appendix B, for Mn,1
=1.60,

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

p2 T2 p0 , 2
M n , 2 0.6684 2.82 1.388 0.8952
p1 T1 p0,1
M n,2 0.6684
M2   1.21
sin(    ) sin(53.4  20)
p2
p2  p1 2.82(1atm) 2.82atm
p1
T2
T2  T1 1.388(288K ) 399.7 K
T1

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

p0, 2 p0,1
p0 , 2  p1
p0,1 p1
T0,1
T0, 2 T0,1  T1
T1

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

Example 9.3

Solution:
For Figure 9.9, for M1=2.4 and β=30o, we have θ=6.5o.
Also, Mn,1=M1sinβ=2.4sin30o=1.2
From Appendix B,
p2
1.513
p1
T2
1.128 M n,2 0.8422
T1 Thus M 2   2.11
M n , 2 0.8422 sin(    ) sin(30  6.5)

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

Note:
Tow aspects are illustrated by this example:
1.This is a fairly weak shock wave---only a 51 percent in
pressure across the wave.
2.Only two properties need to be specified in order to define
uniquely a given oblique shock wave.

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

Example 9.4
Consider an oblique shock wave with β=35oand a pressure ratio
p2/p1=3. Calculate the upstream Mach number.
Solution:
From Appendix B, for p2/p1=3, Mn,1=1.64(nearest entry).
Since M n ,1 M 1 sin 

M n ,1
1.64
M1   2.86
sin  sin 35 0

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

Example 9.5

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From Figure 9.9,

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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

The results shows that the final total pressure is 76 percent

higher for the case of the multiple shock system (case 2) in
comparison to the single normal shock (case1).
In principle, the total pressure is an indicator of how much
useful work can be done by the gas.
The losses of total pressure are an index of the efficiency of a
fluid flow.
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9.2 OBLIQUE SHOCK RELATIONS

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9.3 SUPERSONIC FLOW OVER WEDGES AND CONES

Example 9.6
Consider a wedge with a 15o half angle in a Mach 5 flow, as
sketched in Figure 9.17. Calculate the drag coefficient for this
wedge. (Assume that the pressure over the base is equal to
freestream static pressure, as shown in Figure 9.17.)
Consider the drag coefficient on a unit span of
the wedge D’. Hence

D' D'
cd  
q1S q1c
Figure 9.17
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9.3 SUPERSONIC FLOW OVER WEDGES AND CONES

D' 2 p2l sin   2 p1l sin 

p2
2l sin  p1 (  1)
p1
c
l
cos  p2
D' 2c tan  p1 (  1)
p1
p2
2 tan  p1 (  1)
p1
cd 
q1

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9.3 SUPERSONIC FLOW OVER WEDGES AND CONES

2
1 2 1 p1 2 p1 V1 p1 2
q1  1V1  1 V1  2
 M1
2 2 p1 2 a1 2
p2
2 tan  p1 (  1)
p1 4 tan  p2
cd   (  1)
p1 2 2
M 1 p1
M1
2
From Figure 9.9, for M1 = 5 and θ = 15o , β = 24.2o . Hence,
Mn,1=M1sinβ=5sin(24.2o)=2.05 ,
From Appendix B, p2
4.736
p1
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9.3 SUPERSONIC FLOW OVER WEDGES AND CONES

4 tan  p2 4 tan 15 0
cd  2
(  1)  2
(4.736  1)
M 1 p1 (1.4) 5
0.114

Note: The drag is finite for this case. In a supersonic or

hypersonic inviscid flow over a two-dimensional body, the
drag is always finite. The fundamental reason for the
generation of drag here is the presence of shock waves.
Shocks are always a dissipative, drag-producing mechanism.
For this reason, the drag in this case is called wave drag.

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9.4 SHOCK INTERACTIONS AND REFLECTIONS

Example 9.7

Figure 9.19
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9.4 SHOCK INTERACTIONS AND REFLECTIONS

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9.4 SHOCK INTERACTIONS AND REFLECTIONS

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9.6 PRANDTL-MEYER EXPANSION WAVES

Example 9.8

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9.6 PRANDTL-MEYER EXPANSION WAVES

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9.6 PRANDTL-MEYER EXPANSION WAVES

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9.6 PRANDTL-MEYER EXPANSION WAVES

Example 9.9

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9.6 PRANDTL-MEYER EXPANSION WAVES

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9.6 PRANDTL-MEYER EXPANSION WAVES

Example 9.10

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9.6 PRANDTL-MEYER EXPANSION WAVES

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9.6 PRANDTL-MEYER EXPANSION WAVES

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9.7 SHOCK-EXPANSION THEORY : APPLICATIONS TO SUPERSONIC

Example 9.11

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9.7 SHOCK-EXPANSION THEORY : APPLICATIONS TO SUPERSONIC

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9.7 SHOCK-EXPANSION THEORY : APPLICATIONS TO SUPERSONIC

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9.7 SHOCK-EXPANSION THEORY : APPLICATIONS TO SUPERSONIC

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HOMEWORK

Textbook (a): 9.2; 9.4, 9.6; 9.8; 9.12, 9.13,

pp 612-614.

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