6.

Compressible flow

6.1
According to Handbook of Chemistry and Physics the composition of air is

From this, compute the gas constant R for air.

6.2
The figure shows a, Pitot-static tube used for velocity and Mach number measurements.
Compute the velocity u and the Mach number M given that the temperature t = 20 °C and the
pressures are p1 = 80 kPa and p 2 = 120 kPa. Assume subsonic flow in the whole flow field.

6.3
An airplane is flying at an atmospheric height where the temperature T∞ = 270 K and the
pressure p ∞ = 70 kPa. At a point on the wing the pressure p = 63 kPa and the local Mach
number M = 0.56. How large is the speed of the airplane relative to the surrounding
atmosphere? Assume that the airspeed is subsonic everywhere around the airplane.

6.4
Consider a blunt body in a flow field where the velocity V∞ = 150 m/s and the temperature
t ∞ = 20 °C. How large can the maximum surface temperature of the body be?

6.5
An airplane is flying at the atmospheric height l0 km with the speed V∞ = 935 km/h relative to
the surrounding atmosphere. At this atmospheric height the pressure is 26.436 kPa and the
temperature is —50 °C. At a point on the airplane wing the pressure is measured to 25.45 kPa.
What is the Mach number and the air speed in this point relative to the airplane? Assume
subsonic flow everywhere around the airplane.
6.6
Air at the stagnation pressure p 0 = 300 kPa is expanded isentropically through a. Laval
nozzle. The pressure in a cross section after the expansion is p = 28 kPa. How large is the
cross section area if the cross section at the throat is 10 cm 2 ?

6.7
Air is expanded to supersonic flow through a. Laval nozzle. The cross section area in the
throat is 15 cm 2 . Estimate the Mach number in a. cross section downstream of the throat
where the area is 25.3 cm 2 .

6.8
Helium (γ= 5/3 = 1.67) is expanded isentropically through a Laval nozzle to supersonic
flow. How large is the pressure in the throat if the stagnation pressure is p 0 =
500 kPa?

6.9
Air at the stagnation state p0 = 1000 kPa and T0 = 300 K is expanded to supersonic
speed through a. Laval nozzle. At the throat the cross section area. is 49 cm2. Estimate the
gas velocity at the exit from the nozzle where the cross section area is 100 cm 2 .

6.10
Air is flowing through a nozzle in such a way that the Mach number = 1 in the throat. In such
a case the Mach number M 2 at the exit can be either sub- or supersonic depending on the
pressure at the exit from the nozzle. For the nozzle in the figure compute the exit Mach
number M 2 and pressure p 2 in both these cases. The flow through the nozzle is shock-free.
Given: M 1 = 0.5, A1 = 10 cm 2 , A2 = 8.4 cm 2 , A* = 7.46 cm 2 and p1 = 170 kPa.

6.11
A perfect, gas is flowing through a nozzle. Show that, if the flow is choked the mass
flow through the nozzle is
6.12

Air is stored in a reservoir at the pressure 2 MPa and the temperature 22 °C. A valve
is opened and air is streaming from the reservoir, through the valve to the atmosphere.
The minimum cross-section area in the valve is 1 cm 2 . Show that the flow through the valve
must be choked and estimate the mass flow through it.

6.13
Air with the stagnation state p 0 = 201 kPa and t 0 = 20 °C is streaming through the nozzle in
the figure. At the entrance to the nozzle the flow is known to be subsonic. No shocks are
observed in the nozzle between the entrance and the exit. Calculate the mass flow through the
nozzle. Given: p1 = 180 kPa, p 2 = 167 kPa, A1 =17.7 cm 2 , A2 = 14,5 and At = 12,2 cm 2

6.14
The nozzle in a supersonic wind tunnel should be constructed for the Mach number
M = 3 in the test section. The mass flow through the tunnel should be 2 kg/s at the stagnation
state p 0 = 500 kPa and T0 = 300 K. Estimate the cross section area in the nozzle throat and in
the test section.
6.15
Carbon dioxide (γ= 1.31 and specific gas constant R = 189 J/(kg.K)) is stored in a pressure
reservoir at the pressure 500 kPa and temperature 10 °C. Some of this carbon dioxide should
be transferred to another reservoir where the pressure is 100 kPa through a valve. Estimate the
opening cross section area in the valve if the required mass flow is 1 kg/s. Assume adiabatic
flow through the valve.

6.16
What is the stagnation pressure needed to get a mass flow of 8 kg/s through a supersonic wind
tunnel, when the Mach number in the test section is M = 2.4. The cross section in the wind
tunnel nozzle throat is 0.01 m 2 and the stagnation temperature T0 = 300 K.

6.17
A calorically perfect gas is streaming through the straight nozzle in the figure. Show that the
force acting on the nozzle from the gas is
Fx = p1 (1 + γM 1 ) A1 − p 2 (1 + γM 2 ) A2
2 2

6.18
Air with stagnation state p 0 = 800 kPa and T0 = 300 K is streaming through a straight nozzle.
At the nozzle entrance the velocity is subsonic and the cross section area A1 =37 cm 2 . The
throat area At = 26 cm 2 and at the nozzle exit the cross section area A2 = 47 cm 2 . The
velocity at the exit is supersonic and there are no shocks present inside the nozzle. Calculate
the force exerted bv the air flow on the nozzle.

6.19
A total pressure tube (Pitot tube) is placed in a supersonic airflow. The Mach number M ∞ =
1.8 and the pressure p ∞ = 60 kPa in the undisturbed flow ahead of the tube.
What pressure does the Pitot tube measure?
6.20
A bluff body is moving through air with the Mach number M ∞ = 1.5. The temperature in the
undisturbed air ahead of the body t ∞ = - 10 °C. Estimate the temperature at the stagnation
point on the body.

6.21
The shock wave from an explosion is moving through an undisturbed atmosphere.
The atmospheric pressure is 100 kPa and the temperature is 15 °C. The shock wave is
observed to move with the speed 850 m/s. Estimate the pressure and the temperature directly
after the shock has passed. Assume the shock wave to be flat and also that it is moving in the
direction of its surface normal.

6.22
On a Schlieren picture of a plane supersonic flow past a symmetric wedge the angles and
are measured. Calculate the free stream Mach number M ∞ when β = 44° and θ= 23.5°.

6.23
A wedge is placed in a homogeneous parallel flow as shown in the figure. Compute the Mach
number, the pressure p, the temperature T and the velocity at the wedge surface.
Given: M ∞ =3, p ∞ = 100 kPa, M ∞ = 300 K and θ = 22°
6.24
One wants to increase the pressure in a supersonic air flown from p1 = 100 kPa to p 2 =
500 kPa through an oblique shock. How large deflection angle θ is needed if the inflow
Mach number M 1 = 2.50? What is the shock angle β?

6.25
A wedge is placed in a, supersonic homogeneous parallel flow of air. In the free stream
The Mach number M ∞ = 3.0 and the pressure p ∞ = 100 kPa. Calculate the maximum
possible pressure p on the wedge surface when there should be an attached oblique
shock. At which deflection angle θ is this obtained?

6.26
How large deflection angle is needed to expand a homogenous airflow from the Mach
M 1 = 1.52 to the Mach number M 2 = 1.76?

6.27
A supersonic air flow with Mach number M 1 = 1.80 bounded by a plane wall is
expanded at a convex corner in the wall. The total deflection angle θ = 8°. What is
the Mach number in the air flow after the expansion?

6.28
A supersonic air flow with Mach number M 1 along a plane wall is deflected the angle θ as
shown in the figure. Compute the Mach number M, the velocity v, the pressure p and the
temperature T after the deflection.
Given: M 1 = 2.00, p1 = 100 kPa, T1 = 300 K θ = 10°.

6.29
One wants to decrease the pressure in an air stream by expanding it past a sharp convex
corner. Compute the deflection needed to decrease the pressure from p ∞ =200 kPa to p=100
kPa if M ∞ =1.50.

6.30
An air stream with the Mach number M 1 = 3.0 is continuously deflected along a concave wall.
The total deflector angle θ = 14°. What is the Mach number M after the deflection?
6.31
One wants to retard a plane supersonic flow from the Mach number M = 3.00 to the
Mach number M = 2.00. This can be done by a continuously concave deflection of a wall.
What total deflection angle is needed?

6.32
An air stream with Mach number M1 and pressure p1 along a wall is deflected by a wedge.
The opening angle of the wedge is θ1. Further down stream the flow meets a sharp convex
corner and is deflected the angle θ2. Compute the pressures p2 and p3
Given:M1 = 5.00, p1 = 100 kPa, θ1= 5° and θ2= 10°.

6.33
A supersonic airflow with Mach number M1 along a wall can be compressed either through an
oblique shock or through a Prandtl-Meyer compression wave. An oblique shock emanates
from a sharp concave corner as shown i figure a). A Prandtl-Meyer compression wave is
obtained by continuously deflecting the wall. This is shown in figure b). Compute the Mach
numbers M2 and M3, the velocities u2 and u3, the pressure ratio p2/p3 the temperature
ratioT2/T3 and the stagnation pressure ratio p02/p03.
Given: M1=2.8 T1=300K θ=20°.

6.34
Air is streaming through a. duct as shown in the figure. The Mach number M1 = 3.0. In the
duct, there is a wedge generating an oblique shock. This shock is reflected from the upper
wall as shown. Ca,lculate the angle α of the reflected shock if the wedge angle θ= 10°.
6.35
In a supersonic air intake to a jet. engine the air flow must be retarded to subsonic
speed. This retardation can be achieved through one or more oblique or normal shocks.
The design of the intake duct, can also be made in such a way that, an oblique shock is
replaced by a continuous compression. In the figures two possible designs are shown.
The designer wants to know which one is to be preferred when the Mach number M1= 3.00
and θ= 30°. Hence, compute
a) the stagnation pressure ratio p03/p01 in the left design and
b) b) the stagnation pressure ratio p05/p01 in the right design.
(Among other things one wants this stagnation pressure ratio to be as large as possible
in a jet engine air intake.)

6.36
A flat plate with chord c is placed in a supersonic free stream. The Mach number in the free
stream is M ∞ and the angle of attack is α. Compute the pressure coefficients cpu and cpl the
upper and lower side of the plate, respectively, the lift-coefficient cl, the drag coefficient cd
and the tip moment coefficient cm,x=0
Given: M ∞ = 1.60 and α= 2°.

6.37
The symmetric wedge profile in the figure is placed without angle of attack in a supersonic
free stream. Compute the lift coefficient cl and the drag coefficient cd if the Mach
number M ∞ = 1.60 and the thickness ratio t/c = 0.1.

Answers:
6.1 287 J/kg K

7.2 269 m/s 0.784

7.3 130 m/s
7.4 31°C
6.5 0.903 , 269 m/s
6.6 20 cm2
6.7 2.0
6.8 244 kPa
6.9 547 m/s
7.10 0.66,150 kPa,1.42,62 kPa
6.12 0.47 kg/s
6.13 0.53 kg/s
6.14 17 cm2, 73 cm2
6.15 6.9 cm2
6.16 343 kPa
6.18 330 N
6.19 280 kPa
6.20 108°C
6.21 712 kPa, 343°C
6.22 2.8
6.23 1.89,421 kPa,491 K,838 m/s
6.24 28.4°, 57.3°
6.25 849 kPa, 34°
6.26 7.07°
6.27 2.09
6.28 2.38, 902 m/s,182 kPa, 356 K
6.29 13.3°
6.30 2.36
6.31 23.4°
6.32 181 kPa,52kPa
6.33 1.861, 1.967, 795.8 m/s, 824.1 m/s, 0.9828, 1.053, 0.8212
6.34 21.8°
6.35 0.5312, 0.8274
6.36 0.0536, 0.584, 0.112, 0.00391, -0.0560
6.37 - 0.0879, 0.0675