Effects of species diffusion and heat conduction on nonequilibrium flows behind strong shocks

Abstract

Abstract : The effects of species diffusion and heat conduction are investigated for nonequilibrium flows behind strong, one-dimensional shocks. The relaxation zone is analyzed separately from the shock transition zone for translational (and rotational) temperature. It is shown that transport processes effectively decrease the high concentration and temperature gradients in the relaxation zone of strong shocks. This specific nonequilibrium behavior is studied for both vibration and dissociation. Strong effects are noted at shock speeds of 20 Kft/sec (for vibration) and 29 Kft/sec (for dissociation). Preliminary results are also given for airflows with coupled chemistry. Furthermore, a method for including the effects of free stream dissociation is presented for flows involving transport processes. The applications to bow shock flows at high re-entry speeds are pointed out. (Author)