MEE 405 (Fluid Mechanics III) SIGNIFICANCE OF SOUND TO COMPRESSIBLE FLUID MECHANICS

A good understanding of fluid mechanics (especially compressible fluid mechanics) is required for proper understanding of the behaviours of air around the body in motion. , speed of sound refers to the speed of sound waves in air. However, the speed of sound varies from substance to substance. Sound travels faster in liquids and non-porous solids than it does in air. During fluid motion, pressure pulse that is setup cause the generation of a wave called sound wave. This wave usually possesses a definite speed in different medium. This sound wave speed poses a limitation on the speed of object through the body of fluid in question. In understanding this phenomenon, a good knowledge of sound and sound wave propagation are needed. Some of the application of sound and sound wave in compressible fluid mechanics are explained below. In fluid dynamics (compressible fluid mechanics), the speed of sound in a fluid medium (gas or liquid) is used as a relative measure of speed itself. The speed of an object (in distance per time) divided by the speed of sound in the fluid is called the Mach number. The sound phenomenon associated with sound in compressible fluid mechanics is called sound barrier. The sound barrier is the point at which an aircraft moves from transonic to supersonic speed. The term, which occasionally has other meanings, came into use during World War II, when a number of aircraft started to encounter the effects of compressibility, a collection of several unrelated aerodynamic effects that "struck" their planes like an impediment to further acceleration. Also, some common whips such as the bullwhip or spare whip are able to move faster than sound: the tip of the whip breaks the sound barrier and causes a sharp crack (literally a sonic boom). This phenomenon can also be noted in firearms since the 19th century has generally had a supersonic muzzle velocity. The tip of the propeller on many early aircraft may reach supersonic speeds, producing a noticeable buzz that differentiates such aircraft. This is particularly noticeable on the Stearman (also noticeable on the T-6 Texan) when it enters a sharp-breaking turn. This is undesirable, as the transonic air movement creates disruptive shock waves and turbulence. It is due to these effects that propellers are known to suffer from dramatically decreased performance as they approach the speed of sound. It is easy to demonstrate that the power needed to improve performance is so great that the weight of the required engine grows faster than the power output of the propeller. This problem was one of the issues that led to early research into jet engines, notably by Frank Whittle in England and Hans von Ohain in Germany, who were led to their research specifically in order to avoid these problems in high-speed flight.