Experimental investigation of reshocked spherical gas interfaces

Abstract

The evolution of a spherical gas interface under reshock conditions is experimentally studied using the high-speed schlieren photography with high time resolutions. A number of experimental sets of helium or SF6 bubble surrounded by air for seven different end wall distances have been performed. Distinct flow structures are observed due to the additional vorticity and wave configuration caused by the reshock. In the air/helium case, the deformation of the reshocked bubble is dependent on the development of the penetrating air jet along the symmetry axis of the bubble. In general, two separate vortex rings can be observed, i.e., one develops slowly, and the other approaches and eventually impinges on the shock tube end wall. In the air/SF6 case, two SF6 jets moving in opposite directions are generated and the oscillation of the interface is observed for small end wall distances, while small scale vortex morphologies on the gas interface are found for large end wall distances. The physical mechanisms of the baroclinic vorticity generation and the pressure perturbation are highlighted in the interface evolution process. Based on the sequence of the schlieren images obtained during a single run for each case, the x-t diagrams of the shock and reshock interacting with the helium or SF6 bubble are plotted and the velocities estimated in linear stages are compared with those calculated from one-dimensional gas dynamics. The changes with time in the characteristic bubble sizes including the interface length, height, and vortex diameter are also measured.