Introduction

Oblique shock relations

Applications

Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

Lina Zhang

Department of Applied Mathematics and Statistics

Stony Brook University

February 13, 2013

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Oblique shock relations
Applications

Outline

1 Introduction

2 Oblique shock relations

Conservation equations
M relation
State variables

3 Applications
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Other applications

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Oblique shock relations
Applications

Introduction

A normal shock wave is perpendicular to the free-stream flow

direction. An oblique shock wave, unlike the normal shock, is
usually formed when a supersonic flow is deflected and turned into
itself, as shown in Figure 1.
I At the corner, the surface is deflected upward through an
angle .
I The flow streamlines are then deflected upward through the
main bulk of the flow above the surface.
I A shock wave is then formed which is oblique to the
free-stream flow direction.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Oblique shock relations
Applications

Figure: 1

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

Conservation equations
The geometry of flow through an oblique shock is given in Figure 2.

Figure: 2
Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications
 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

I is the surface angle and is the oblique shock angle.

I The components of upstream velocity V1 perpendicular and
parallel, respectively, to the shock are u1 and w1 ; the
analogous components of V2 are u2 and w2 , components of
Mach number M1 are Mn1 and Mt1 , components of M2 are
Mn2 and Mt2 .
I Faces a and d are parallel to shock wave. Faces b and f are
parallel to V1 . Faces c and e are parallel to V2 .

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

Consider the integral forms of the conservation equations

ZZ ZZZ

mass : V dS = dV (1)
t
S V

Apply (1) to the control volume for a steady flow, then the time
derivative is zero. Faces b, c, e and f are parallel to the velocity
and hence contribute nothing to the surface integral. The integral
over a and d yields 1 u1 A1 + 2 u2 A2 = 0. Thus, (1) becomes

1 u1 = 2 u2 (2)

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

ZZ ZZZ
(V)
momentum : (V dS)V + dV
t
S
ZZZ V ZZ (3)
= f dV pdS
V S
Consider (3) resolved into two components with steady flow and
no body forces. The tangential component applied to the control
surface yields (noting that tangential component of pdS is zero on
a and d, b is cancelled with f and c is cancelled with e)
1 u1 w1 + 2 u2 w2 = 0, combining with (2), we get
w1 = w2 (4)
So tangential velocity is preserved across oblique shock wave.
The normal component gives

p1 + 1 u1 2 = p2 + 2 u2 2 (5)
Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications
 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

ZZZ ZZ ZZZ
energy : qdV pV dS + (f V)dV
V S V
(6)
V2 V2
ZZZ ZZ

= [(e + )]dV + (e + )V dS
t 2 2
V S

Apply (6) to control volume for a steady adiabatic flow with no

body forces, we get

V1 2 V2
(h1 + )1 u1 = (h2 + 2 )2 u2 , h = e + p/ (7)
2 2
Combining with (2), (4) and V 2 = u2 + w2 , we get

u21 u2
h1 + = h2 + 2 (8)
2 2

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

In summary, equation (2), (5) and (8) give conservation equations

for oblique shock wave. Actually we could find that they are
identical in form to the normal shock conservation equations.
Moreover, in both sets of equations, the velocities are normal to
the wave. Therefore, the changes across an oblique shock wave are
governed by the normal component.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

M relation
First, from the geometry, we have

Mn1 = M1 sin (9)

We also know that changes across an oblique shock wave are

governed by the normal component, from the normal shock, we
then have, for a calorically perfect gas,

2 ( + 1)Mn21
= (10)
1 ( 1)Mn21 + 2
u1 u2
Note that tan = w1 , tan( ) = w2 and w1 = w2 , we have

tan( ) u2
= (11)
tan u1

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

Combining (11) with equations (2), (9) and (10), we obtain

tan( ) 2 + ( 1)M12 sin2

= (12)
tan ( + 1)M12 sin2

it could also be expressed as

M12 sin2 1
tan = 2 cot [ ] (13)
M12 ( + cos 2) + 2

This equation is called the M relation. Figure 3 is a plot

of wave angle versus deflection angle, with the Mach number as a
parameter and = 1.4.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

Figure: 3

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

Note the following:

I Normal shock is just = 0 and = /2.
I For any given M1 there is a maximum deflection angle max .
If > max , then no solution exists for a straight oblique
shock wave.
I If < max , there are two values of for a given M1 . The
large value gives strong shock solution where M2 is subsonic.
The small value gives weak shock solution where M2 is
supersonic except for a small region near max . In nature, the
weak shock solution is favored and usually occurs.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

Now, we try to find an explicit expression for the oblique shock

angle from M relation. Cross multiplying, squaring, and
simplifying, results in the following cubic equation:

X 3 + bX 2 + cX + d = 0 (14)
where X [sin()]2 ,
M 2 +2
b = [ M1 2 + sin2 ],
1
2M12 +1 2
c= M14
+ ( (+1)
4 + 1
M12
) sin2 and
2
d= cos
M14

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

By the general solution of the cubic equation, if we define

2 9bc27d2b3
Q 3db
9 , R 54 and D Q3 + R2 , we could get:
q
strong shock angle s = tan1 [ 1x xs
s
] and
q
weak shock angle w = tan1 [ 1x xw
w
],

where xs = 3b + 2 Q cos ,

xw = 3b Q(cos 3 sin ),

= 13 (tan1 D
R ) + ) and = 0, if R 0; = if R < 0.
As we mentioned above, the weak solution is of particular interest.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

State variables
As the changes across an oblique shock wave are governed by the
normal component, from normal shock for calorically perfect gas
we could get

2 ( + 1)Mn21
= (15)
1 ( 1)Mn21 + 2
p2 2
=1+ (M 2 1) (16)
p1 + 1 n1
Mn21 + [2/( 1)]
Mn22 = (17)
[2/( 1)]Mn21 1
and

T2 p2 1
= (18)
T1 p1 2
Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications
 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

Combining with the geometry relations: Mn1 = M1 sin and

Mn2 = M2 sin( ), We could have the following equations:

2 ( + 1)M12 sin2
= (19)
1 ( 1)M12 sin2 + 2

p2 2M12 sin2 ( 1)
= (20)
p1 +1

( 1)M12 sin2 + 2
M22 sin2 ( ) = (21)
2M12 sin2 ( 1)

T2 [2M12 sin2 ( 1)][( 1)M12 sin2 + 2]

= (22)
T1 ( + 1)2 M12 sin2

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction Conservation equations
Oblique shock relations M relation
Applications State variables

Since could be solved from the weak solution of M

relation in the previous section, the state variables behind the
shock could be all calculated now.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code

I Imploding plasma liners, formed by the merger of high Mach

number plasma jets, have attracted recently numerous studies
in the context of high energy density matter and the
magneto-inertial nuclear fusion in particular(plasma jet driven
magneto-inertial fusion).
I The PLX experiment plans to merge 30 high-density argon
jets in the Mach number range of 10 - 35, demonstrate the
liner formation and its self-implosion or implosion on targets.
Figure 4 shows the illustration.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

Figure: 4

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

The angle between each pair of argon jets is approximately 36 . As

jets collide at the merging radius, they can not interpenetrate each
other and the collision of jets is similar to the collision of a jet with
a solid wall at 18 , and therefore the oblique shock waves are
supposed to be formed. The distribution of density states on a
plane slicing of 3-dimensional simulation and the schematic of
oblique shocks are shown in Figure 5.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

Plasma jet Oblique Shock

jet1 C0
C1 C1
C0

jet2

jet3

Figure: 5

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

For a better explanation of the liner structure and results of

3-dimensional simulations of PLX experimental conditions, we have
also performed simplified 2-dimensional simulations of the jet
merger in planar geometry and compared with the theory. Figure 6
shows the schematic of the process: the initialization of the jet
merger simulation and the density distribution at later time
exhibiting the first and second cascades of oblique shock waves.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

Figure: 6

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

The simulated values of pressure, density, Mach number and other

quantities in the post-shock region were compared with solutions
in previous section and a good agreement was reached. Results of
the comparison for first oblique shock are summarized in Table 1
and for second oblique shock are summarized in Table 2.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

M2 2 /1 T2 /T1 P2 /P1
Theory 24.8 3.9 3.9 35 137
Simulation 23.5 4.0 3.5 35 135
Table: 1

M2 2 /1 T2 /T1 P2 /P1
Theory 33 2.3 2.4 2.3 5.6
Simulation 30 2.4 2.5 2.3 5.3
Table: 2

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

I The small discrepancy between the theory and simulation is

due to the fact that the theory deals with a steady-state
oblique shock while the steady state was not fully reached in
the simulation.
I The converging flow after the third shock wave should lead to
a hammer-shock in the center. But the third oblique shock
wave was not clearly visible in simulations due to imperfect
conditions.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

Other applications

I Oblique shock waves are also used predominantly in

engineering applications. This can be attributed to the fact
that using one or a combination of oblique shock waves
results in more favorable post-shock conditions when
compared to utilizing a single normal shock.
I One example is that many supersonic aircraft wings are
designed around a thin diamond shape. Placing a
diamond-shaped object at an angle of attack relative to the
supersonic flow streamlines will result in two oblique shocks
which could generate lift.

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications

 Introduction
Plasma jet simulations using FronTier code
Oblique shock relations
Other applications
Applications

References

I Anderson, J.D., Modern Compressible Flow With Historical

Perspective, McGraw-Hill Book Co., New York 1982.
I Hartley, T.T., et al., Exact and Approximate Solutions to the
Oblique Shock Equations for Real-Time Applications, NASA
CR187173, August 1991.
I H.Kim, L.Zhang, R.Samulyak, P.Parks, On the Structure of
Plasma Liners for Plasma Jet Induced Magnetoinertial
Fusion, Phys. Plasmas 20, 022704 (2013).

Lina Zhang Theory of oblique shock wave and its applications