Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-4hhp2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-04T04:46:34.465Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Numerical shock propagation in non-uniform media

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 April 2006

D. W. Schwendeman
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematical Sciences, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy NY 12180-3590, USA

Abstract

A general numerical scheme is developed to calculate the motion of shock waves in gases with non-uniform properties. The numerical scheme is based on the approximate theory of geometrical shock dynamics. The refracted shockfronts at both planar and curved gas interfaces are calculated. Both regular and irregular refraction patterns are obtained, and in particular, precursor-irregular refraction systems are found using the approximate theory. The numerical results are compared with recent theoretical and experimental investigations. It is shown that the shockfronts determined using geometrical shock dynamics are in good agreement with the actual shock waves.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1988 Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Abd-el-Fattah, A. M. & Henderson, L. F. 1978 Shock waves at a slow-fast gas interface. J. Fluid Mech. 89, 7995.Google Scholar
Abd-el-Fattah, A. M., Henderson, L. F. & Lozzi, A. 1976 Precursor shock waves at a slow-fast gas interface. J. Fluid Mech. 76, 157176.Google Scholar
Catherasoo, C. J. & Sturtevant, B. 1983 Shock dynamics in non-uniform media. J. Fluid Mech. 127, 539561.Google Scholar
Collins, R. & Chen, H. T. 1970 Propagation of a shock wave of arbitrary strength in two half plains containing a free surface. J. Comp. Phys. 5, 415422.Google Scholar
Collins, R. & Chen, H. T. 1971 Motion of a shock wave through a non-uniform media. In Proc. 2nd Int. Conf. on Numerical Methods in Fluid Dynamics (ed. M. Holt). Lecture Notes in Physics, vol. 8, pp. 264269. Springer.
Haas, J.-F. & Sturtevant, B. 1987 Interaction of weak shock waves with cylindrical and spherical gas inhomogeneities. J. Fluid Mech. 181, 4176.Google Scholar
Henshaw, W. D., Smyth, N. F. & Schwendeman, D. W. 1986 Numerical shock propagation using geometrical shock dynamics. J. Fluid Mech. 171, 519545.Google Scholar
Jahn, R. G. 1956 The refraction of shock waves at a gaseous interface. J. Fluid Mech. 1, 457489.Google Scholar
Whitham, G. B. 1957 A new approach to problems of shock dynamics. Part 1. Two-dimensional problems. J. Fluid Mech. 2, 145171.Google Scholar
Whitham, G. B. 1959 A new approach to problems of shock dynamics. Part 2. Three-dimensional problems. J. Fluid Mech. 5, 369386.Google Scholar
Whitham, G. B. 1974 Linear and Nonlinear Waves. Wiley.