Weak shock reflection in steady transonic dense gas flow

Abstract

AbstractFlows of dense gases may exhibit a number of phenomena which are impossible in the case of perfect gases and thus are of considerable theoretical interest. These include, among others, the formation of rarefaction shock waves which accelerate rather than decelerate the gas and a substantial increase of the lower critical Mach number. As a consequence there is no danger of flow separation if rarefaction shocks interact with boundary layers in high Reynolds number flow. Experimental work is needed to clarify whether these phenomena predicted by theory can be realised in a technical environment and be used to increase the efficiency of turbomachines in Organic Rankine Cycles for decentralised power plants in low popularised areas. Special interest here is for steady transonic flow. The present work is intended to support such experimental efforts. As a first step the most simple but canonical case of slightly supersonic flow past compression/compression ramps was considered in Kluwick & Cox [1]. The present study is intended to complete the understanding of such flows by investigating the reflection problem arising from the presence of an opposing solid wall in confined geometries.