170 STANDING NORMAL SHOCKS

PROBLEMS

Unless otherwise indicated, you may assume that there is no friction in any of the following
flow systems; thus the only losses are those generated by shocks.

6.1. A standing normal shock occurs in air that is flowing at a Mach number of 1.8.
(a) What are the pressure, temperature, and density ratios across the shock?
(b) Compute the entropy change for the air as it passes through the shock.
(c) Repeat part (b) for flows at M = 2.8 and 3.8.

6.2. The difference between the total and static pressure before a shock is 75 psi. What is
the maximum static pressure that can exist at this point ahead of the shock? The gas is
oxygen. (Hint: Start by finding the static and total pressures ahead of the shock for the
limiting case of M = 1.0.)

6.3. In an arbitrary perfect gas, the Mach number before a shock is infinite.
(a) Determine a general expression for the Mach number after the shock. What is the
value of this expression for γ = 1.4?
(b) Determine general expressions for the ratios p2 /p1 , T2 /T1 , ρ2 /ρ1 , and pt2 /pt1 .
Do these agree with the values shown in Appendix H for γ = 1.4?

6.4. It is known that sonic velocity exists in each throat of the system shown in Figure P6.4.
The entropy change for the air is 0.062 Btu/lbm-°R. Negligible friction exists in the
duct. Determine the area ratios A3 /A1 and A2 /A1 .

Figure P6.4

6.5. Air flows in the system shown in Figure P6.5. It is known that the Mach number after
the shock is M3 = 0.52. Considering p1 and p2 , it is also known that one of these
pressures is twice the other.
(a) Compute the Mach number at section 1.
(b) What is the area ratio A1 /A2 ?
 PROBLEMS 171

Figure P6.5

6.6. A shock stands at the inlet to the system shown in Figure P6.6. The free-stream Mach
number is M1 = 2.90, the fluid is nitrogen, A2 = 0.25 m2, and A3 = 0.20 m2. Find
the outlet Mach number and the temperature ratio T3 /T1 .

Figure P6.6

6.7. A converging–diverging nozzle is designed to produce a Mach number of 2.5 with air.
(a) What operating pressure ratio (prec /pt inlet) will cause this nozzle to operate at the
first, second, and third critical points?
(b) If the inlet stagnation pressure is 150 psia, what receiver pressures represent oper-
ation at these critical points?
(c) Suppose that the receiver pressure were fixed at 15 psia. What inlet pressures are
necessary to cause operation at the critical points?

6.8. Air enters a convergent–divergent nozzle at 20 × 105 N/m2 and 40°C. The receiver
pressure is 2 × 105 N/m2 and the nozzle throat area is 10 cm2.
(a) What should the exit area be for the design conditions above (i.e., to operate at third
critical?)
(b) With the nozzle area fixed at the value determined in part (a) and the inlet pressure
held at 20 × 105 N/m2, what receiver pressure would cause a shock to stand at the
exit?
(c) What receiver pressure would place the shock at the throat?
172 STANDING NORMAL SHOCKS

6.9. In Figure P6.9, M1 = 3.0 and A1 = 2.0 ft2. If the fluid is carbon monoxide and the
shock occurs at an area of 1.8 ft2, what is the minimum area possible for section 4?

Figure P6.9

6.10. A converging–diverging nozzle has an area ratio of 7.8 but is not being operated at its
design pressure ratio. Consequently, a normal shock is found in the diverging section
at an area twice that of the throat. The fluid is oxygen.
(a) Find the Mach number at the exit and the operating pressure ratio.
(b) What is the entropy change through the nozzle if there is negligible friction?
6.11. The diverging section of a supersonic nozzle is formed from the frustrum of a cone.
When operating at its third critical point with nitrogen, the exit Mach number is 2.6.
Compute the operating pressure ratio that will locate a normal shock as shown in Figure
P6.11.

Figure P6.11

6.12. A converging–diverging nozzle receives air from a tank at 100 psia and 600°R. The
pressure is 28.0 psia immediately preceding a plane shock that is located in the di-
verging section. The Mach number at the exit is 0.5 and the flow rate is 10 lbm/sec.
Determine:
(a) The throat area.
(b) The area at which the shock is located.
(c) The outlet pressure required to operate the nozzle in the manner described above.
(d) The outlet area.
(e) The design Mach number.
 PROBLEMS 173

6.13. Air enters a device with a Mach number of M1 = 2.0 and leaves with M2 = 0.25. The
ratio of exit to inlet area is A2 /A1 = 3.0.
(a) Find the static pressure ratio p2 /p1 .
(b) Determine the stagnation pressure ratio pt2 /pt1 .

6.14. Oxygen, with pt = 95.5 psia, enters a diverging section of area 3.0 ft2. At the outlet the
area is 4.5 ft2, the Mach number is 0.43, and the static pressure is 75.3 psia. Determine
the possible values of Mach number that could exist at the inlet.
6.15. A converging–diverging nozzle has an area ratio of 3.0. The stagnation pressure at the
inlet is 8.0 bar and the receiver pressure is 3.5 bar. Assume that γ = 1.4.
(a) Compute the critical operating pressure ratios for the nozzle and show that a shock
is located within the diverging section.
(b) Compute the Mach number at the outlet.
(c) Compute the shock location (area) and the Mach number before the shock.
6.16. Nitrogen flows through a converging–diverging nozzle designed to operate at a Mach
number of 3.0. If it is subjected to an operating pressure ratio of 0.5:
(a) Determine the Mach number at the exit.
(b) What is the entropy change in the nozzle?
(c) Compute the area ratio at the shock location.
(d) What value of the operating pressure ratio would be required to move the shock to
the exit?
6.17. Consider a converging–diverging nozzle feeding air from a reservoir at p1 and T1 . The
exit area is Ae = 4A2 , where A2 is the area at the throat. The back pressure prec is
steadily reduced from an initial prec = p1 .
(a) Determine the receiver pressures (in terms of p1 ) that would cause this nozzle to
operate at first, second, and third critical points.
(b) Explain how the nozzle would be operating at the following back pressures:
(i) prec = p1 ; (ii) prec = 0.990p1 ; (iii) prec = 0.53p1 ; (iv) prec = 0.03p1 .
6.18. Draw a detailed T –s diagram corresponding to the supersonic tunnel startup condition
(Figure 6.7). Identify the various stations (i.e., 1, 2, 3, etc.) in your diagram. You may
assume no heat transfer and no frictional losses in the system.
6.19. Consider the wind tunnel shown in Figures 6.7 and 6.8. Atmospheric air enters the
system with a pressure and temperature of 14.7 psia and 80°F, respectively, and has
negligible velocity at section 1. The test section has a cross-sectional area of 1 ft2 and
operates at a Mach number of 2.5. You may assume that the diffuser reduces the ve-
locity to approximately zero and that final exhaust is to the atmosphere with negligible
velocity. The system is fully insulated and there are negligible friction losses. Find:
(a) The throat area of the nozzle.
(b) The mass flow rate.
(c) The minimum possible throat area of the diffuser.
(d) The total pressure entering the exhauster at startup (Figure 6.7).
(e) The total pressure entering the exhauster when running (Figure 6.8).
(f) The hp value required for the exhauster (based on an isentropic compression).