THE SHOCK SHAPE AND SHOCK DETACHMENT DISTANCE FOR SPHERES AND FLAT-FACED BODIES IN LOW-DENSITY, HYPERVELOCITY, ARGON FLOW

Abstract

An experimental investigation was made to determine the pressure distribution, shock shape, and shock detachment distance for spheres and the latter two characteristics for flatfaced bodies in a heated argon flow. The modified Newtonian approximation for the pressure distribution, which is strictly an empirical relationship, gives good results when applied to the first 60 degrees of a hemisphere under conditions where the body boundary layer and the shock layer merge. The natural flow visualization produced as a result of the high total temperature and consequent excitation of the argon enabled this study to be made. Photographs taken of the shocks generated by a series of spheres and flat-faced bodies were analyzed with a photo-densitometer to determine the shock shape and shock detachment distance. The blast analogy predicts a difference in the shape of shocks in argon and air at high Mach numbers and Reynolds numbers. An empirical relationship proposed by love was used to calculate the shock shape in air for Mach numbers corresponding to those of the present investigation. (Author)

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 01, 1963
Accession Number
AD0297197

Entities

People

  • A. B. Bailey
  • W. H. Sims

Organizations

  • Arnold Engineering Development Complex

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Agreements
  • Air Force
  • Bodies
  • Boundary Layer
  • Densitometers
  • Flow Visualization
  • Fluid Dynamics
  • Free Stream
  • Gas Flow
  • Hypervelocity Flow
  • Mach Number
  • Pressure Distribution
  • Shock
  • Shock Waves
  • Stagnation Temperature
  • United States
  • Wind Tunnels

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Combustion Dynamics and Shock Wave Physics.
  • Fluid Dynamics.

Technology Areas

  • Hypersonics
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Boundary Layers
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flight
  • Hypersonics - Hypersonic Flow