Impact of Normal Shock Waves — Lesson 6

This lesson covers the concept of normal shock waves and their impact on the Mach number, static temperature, and pressure in a fluid flow. It explains how the downstream Mach number decreases with an increase in the upstream Mach number, and how the static temperature and pressure continuously increase. The lesson also discusses the effectiveness and efficiency of normal shock waves in practical applications like the diffuser of a supersonic engine. It further illustrates these concepts with an example involving a normal shock wave in air, showing how the shock wave can effectively decelerate the flow and increase the pressure across zero distance.

Video Highlights

03:11 - Introduction to the issue of effectiveness or efficiency
05:47 - Discussion on the optimal design for a supersonic diffuser
08:38 - Explanation of the optimal design for a supersonic diffuser
10:56 - Discussion on the effectiveness of shockwave compression

Key Takeaways

- The downstream Mach number decreases with an increase in the upstream Mach number.
- The static temperature and pressure continuously increase with the Mach number.
- Normal shock waves are effective in decelerating the flow and increasing the pressure across zero distance.
- Despite the loss of stagnation pressure, normal shock waves can be attractive in certain applications due to their effectiveness.
- In practical applications like the diffuser of a supersonic engine, normal shock waves can accomplish a higher exit pressure compared to isentropic compression.