Mixing of Compressible Fluids

Abstract

The problem of the mixing of two streams of the same compressible fluid in a constant-area duct is solved by applying certain dimensionless parameters first used by Kiselev. The extension to dissimilar fluids or to more than two streams is straightforward. Although the analysis is unrestricted, detailed results are given only for the case where one stream is sonic or supersonic and the other sonic or subsonic at the origin of mixing. For this case, the second law of thermodynamics indicates that, of the two solutions of the conservation equations, the subsonic one is always permitted while some of the supersonic solutions are thermodynamically impossible. Upon examination of experimental data, it is further concluded that of the admissible supersonic solutions, only one may be expected to occur. The establishment of this supersonic solution with its relatively high stagnation pressure leads to the conclusion that when the initial temperatures are sufficiently different, there exist thermodynamically possible solutions with a stagnation pressure higher than that of either of the two initial streams.