Moving Shock Wave Research Articles

Prediction of Transonic Shock Buffet over Supercritical Airfoil OAT15A Based on Zonal Detached-Eddy Simulation

The zonal detached-eddy simulation (ZDES) method divides the flow field into different computational modes, offering flexibility in the simulation of complex flows. The transonic shock buffet on the upper surface of the OAT15A supercritical airfoil is numerically simulated by ZDES based on the k-ω SST model. The results show that the error in the low-frequency characteristics of the transonic shock buffet predicted by ZDES compared to experiments is within 3%. Its predictions of pressure fluctuations and averaged velocity agree better with the experimental data. Overall, ZDES is effective in predicting the periodic oscillations of shock waves along the streamwise direction, flow separation induced by shock wave motion, and the small-scale vortex structures in the wake region.

The dynamics of shock wave propagation far downstream of an abrupt area expansion

Predicting the transient flow fields that develop when a shock wave passes through an area expansion is a fundamental problem in compressible fluid mechanics and significant in many engineering applications. Experiments, large eddy simulations and geometrical shock dynamics are used to study the mechanism by which a normal shock wave that expands across an area expansion evolves into a uniform normal shock far downstream of it. This study analyses shock waves with moderate Mach numbers of 1.1–1.8 that expand at area ratios of up to 5. As the shock wave propagates into the expanded region, it experiences rapid deceleration, forming a non-uniform shock front. Impinging on the walls of the larger cross-section region, the shock wave reflects and generates a complex and highly transient shock pattern near the expansion region. We have found that as the shock front propagates further downstream, a laterally moving shock wave that intersects the shock front at a triple point reverberates laterally between the walls. This process effectively evens out the flow behind the incident shock front, thus reducing the variation of properties behind it. The extended duration of this process leads to significant pressure fluctuation behind the shock front. The results show that the evolution of the shock front can be scaled using the expanded region height and the velocity of the shock wave far downstream of the expansion. The results enabled the formulation of a simple empirical relation, allowing us to predict the shock velocity far downstream of gradual and abrupt area expansions.

Dynamics of a single cavitation bubble near a cylindrical blind hole

Cavitation bubble dynamics, such as microjets and moving shock waves, are strongly influenced by their surroundings. We investigated the complex bubble behavior during the growth and collapse stages near a blind hole. The simultaneous study, which is a combination of experiment and numerical methods, was performed. The single bubble was induced by a laser focus beam near a blind hole in the cuvette and measured by a high-speed camera with an image processing method. Numerical predictions were conducted for a detailed further investigation of the pressure and velocity fields near and inside the bubble. A fully compressible two-phase Navier-Stokes solver based on the homogeneous flow assumption was used. Both experimental and numerical results showed good agreement with each other. Strong deformation of the bottom bubble surface evolution was observed at low standoffs above the hole entrance. An extremely high-velocity microjet with a mushroom cap-shaped bubble was predicted under high standoffs below the hole entrance. Secondary cavitation in the blind hole was observed experimentally, and we discussed the low-pressure region caused by the interaction among the shock wave, bubble, and blind hole. Consequently, the tendencies of maximum microjet velocity and time-dependent surface pressure in the collapse phase are suggested.

Weak shock compaction on granular salt

This study conducted integrated experiments and computational modeling to investigate the speeds of a developing shock within granular salt and analyzed the effect of various impact velocities up to 245 m/s. Experiments were conducted on table salt utilizing a novel setup with a considerable bore length for the sample, enabling visualization of a moving shock wave. Experimental analysis using particle image velocimetry enabled the characterization of shock velocity and particle velocity histories. Mesoscale simulations further enabled advanced analysis of the shock wave’s substructure. In simulations, the shock front’s precursor was shown to have a heterogeneous nature, which is usually modeled as uniform in continuum analyses. The presence of force chains results in a spread out of the shock precursor over a greater ramp distance. With increasing impact velocity, the shock front thickness reduces, and the precursor of the shock front becomes less heterogeneous. Furthermore, mesoscale modeling suggests the formation of force chains behind the shock front, even under the conditions of weak shock. This study presents novel mesoscale simulation results on salt corroborated with data from experiments, thereby characterizing the compaction front speeds in the weak shock regime.

Aerodynamic performance increase over an A320 morphing wing in transonic regime by numerical simulation at high Reynolds number

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the morphing concepts able to manipulate the dynamics of the downstream unsteadiness in the separated shear layers and, in the wake, be able to modify the upstream shock–boundary layer interaction (SBLI) around an A320 morphing prototype to control these instabilities, with emphasis to the attenuation or even suppression of the transonic buffet. The modification of the aerodynamic performances according to a large parametric study carried out at Reynolds number of 4.5 × 106, Mach number of 0.78 and various angles of attack in the range of (0, 2.4)° according to two morphing concepts (travelling waves and trailing edge vibration) are discussed, and the final benefits in aerodynamic performance increase are evaluated.Design/methodology/approachThis article examines through high fidelity (Hi-Fi) numerical simulation the effects of the trailing edge (TE) actuation and of travelling waves along a specific area of the suction side starting from practically the most downstream position of the shock wave motion according to the buffet and extending up to nearly the TE. The present paper studies through spectral analysis the coherent structures development in the near wake and the comparison of the aerodynamic forces to the non-actuated case. Thus, the physical mechanisms of the morphing leading to the increase of the lift-to-drag ratio and the drag and noise sources reduction are identified.FindingsThis study investigates the influence of shear-layer and near-wake vortices on the SBLI around an A320 aerofoil and attenuation of the related instabilities thanks to novel morphing: travelling waves generated along the suction side and trailing-edge vibration. A drag reduction of 14% and a lift-to-drag increase in the order of 8% are obtained. The morphing has shown a lift increase in the range of (1.8, 2.5)% for angle of attack of 1.8° and 2.4°, where a significant lift increase of 7.7% is obtained for the angle of incidence of 0° with a drag reduction of 3.66% yielding an aerodynamic efficiency of 11.8%.Originality/valueThis paper presents results of morphing A320 aerofoil, with a chord of 70cm and subjected to two actuation kinds, original in the state of the art at M = 0.78 and Re = 4.5 million. These Hi-Fi simulations are rather rare; a majority of existing ones concern smaller dimensions. This study showed for the first time a modified buffet mode, displaying periodic high-lift “plateaus” interspersed by shorter lift-decrease intervals. Through trailing-edge vibration, this pattern is modified towards a sinusoidal-like buffet, with a considerable amplitude decrease. Lock-in of buffet frequency to the actuation is obtained, leading to this amplitude reduction and a drastic aerodynamic performance increase.

High-order adaptive multiresolution wavelet upwind schemes for hyperbolic conservation laws

We present a novel system of high-order adaptive multiresolution wavelet collocation upwind schemes, implemented in a meshfree framework, for solving hyperbolic conservation laws. Our approach constructs asymmetrical wavelet bases with interpolation properties to achieve the upwind property and address nonlinearities in hyperbolic problems. An adaptive algorithm based on multiresolution analysis in wavelet theory is designed to capture moving shock waves and identify new localized steep regions. To suppress the Gibbs phenomenon, we propose an integration average reconstruction method based on the Lebesgue differentiation theorem. These numerical techniques enable the wavelet collocation upwind scheme to provide a general framework for devising satisfactory adaptive wavelet upwind methods with high-order accuracy. We perform several benchmark tests for 1D hyperbolic problems to verify the accuracy and efficiency of the proposed wavelet schemes. Notably, our wavelet collocation upwind schemes successfully solve the two interacting blast waves problem when discretizing the spatial derivatives in the physical space directly. This is in contrast to classical high-order schemes that usually involve transforming variables back and forth between physical and characteristic spaces with many local projections. Our results indicate the robustness, stability, and efficiency of our proposed schemes for strong shock wave interaction problems.

An accurate, robust and efficient convection-pressure flux splitting scheme for compressible Euler flows

The popular Roe's flux difference splitting scheme has high resolution for various types of discontinuities but it fails to satisfy the entropy condition and will encounter different forms of instability while calculating shock waves, such as the post-shock oscillation of the slowly moving shock waves and the carbuncle phenomenon of the multidimensional strong shock waves. In the present work, a simple flux difference splitting scheme based on the idea of convection-pressure splitting is proposed. With application of the Toro-Vázquez splitting procedure, the flux of the 3D Euler equations is split into the convection part and the pressure part. Due to having a complete set of linearly independent eigenvectors, the pressure subsystem can be solved by the conventional flux difference splitting method. The weakly hyperbolic convection subsystem, however, does not have a complete set of linearly independent eigenvectors and thus is solved by the flux difference splitting scheme based on the generalized eigenvectors [1]. In addition, a strategy that combines the THINC reconstruction with the BVD algorithm is employed on the numerical dissipation term of the convection flux to further improve the resolution for contact discontinuities. A comprehensive range of numerical simulations for classical 1D, 2D and 3D benchmark test problems demonstrate the good performance of the proposed scheme.

Numerical Investigation of Double Transonic Dip Behaviors in Supercritical Airfoil Flutter

This numerical study examines the behavior of the double transonic dip with a supercritical airfoil. A two-dimensional model of a wing section with two degrees of freedom was used for the investigation. The flowfield was modeled by solving the unsteady Reynolds-averaged compressible Navier–Stokes equations using the Spalart–Allmaras turbulence model, and the equations of motion were solved to determine the structural dynamics. The present model successfully captured the behavior of the double transonic dip on the flutter boundary of the supercritical airfoil, which contrasts with the well-known behavior of the single transonic dip exhibited by conventional symmetric airfoils. Although the mechanism of the first dip at a lower Mach number corresponded to that of the well-known conventional transonic dip, the second dip at a higher Mach number was uniquely observed for the supercritical airfoil. The analysis established that, for the supercritical airfoil, the motion of the shock wave over the upper surface was significantly affected by the behavior of the boundary layer around the highly cambered aft region of the lower surface during flutter. The behavior of the boundary layer involving the separation and reattachment over the lower surface caused the unusual shock wave motion over the upper surface under the Mach number condition at the bottom of the second dip. This motion exerted negative damping forces on the motion of the airfoil, thereby becoming the primary contributor to generating the second dip experienced by the supercritical airfoil.

Shock-induced aerobreakup of a polymeric droplet

Droplet atomization through aerobreakup is omnipresent in various natural and industrial processes. Atomization of Newtonian droplets is a well-studied area; however, non-Newtonian droplets have received less attention despite their being frequently encountered. By subjecting polymeric droplets of different concentrations to the induced airflow behind a moving shock wave, we explore the role of elasticity in modulating the aerobreakup of viscoelastic droplets. Three distinct modes of aerobreakup are identified for a wide range of Weber number $({\sim }10^2\unicode{x2013}10^4)$ and elasticity number $({\sim }10^{-4}\unicode{x2013}10^2)$ variation: these modes are vibrational, shear-induced entrainment and catastrophic breakup modes. Each mode is described as a three-stage process. Stage I is droplet deformation, stage II is the appearance and growth of hydrodynamic instabilities and stage III is the evolution of liquid mass morphology. It is observed that elasticity plays an insignificant role in the first two stages but a dominant role in the final stage. The results are described with the support of adequate mathematical analysis.

Experimental study of the motion of a shock wave in the plasma of a pulsed volume discharge in air

The motion of quasi-plane shock waves with Mach numbers = 2.20–3.50 in the plasma of a nanosecond combined volume discharge in air at an initial pressure of 10–100 Torr has been experimentally studied on the basis of high-speed shadow registration of the flow field. The dynamics of shock–wave configurations after the discharge at various stages of an unsteady supersonic flow, which is formed after the diffraction of a plane shock wave by a rectangular obstacle, is studied. An increase in the velocity of the shock wave front over a time interval of up to 15 𝜇s in a plasma region of 9–40 mm long and its dependence on the plasma parameters is found. An analysis of relaxation processes in plasma showed that the acceleration of the shock wave front can be caused by air heating due to the quenching of electronically excited nitrogen molecules, in which the internal energy is converted into thermal energy at times up to 30 𝜇s.

Interaction of a moving shock wave with a turbulent boundary layer

In the present study, the influence of a uniformly moving impinging shock on the resulting shock wave–turbulent boundary layer interaction is numerically investigated. The relative Mach number of the shock front travelling above a flat-plate model varied between 0 and 2.3, while the quasi-steady inflow conditions remained constant with a Mach number of 3. To quantitatively evaluate the effect of shock travelling speed, a well-known scaling method for interaction length in quasi-steady flows was applied as a reference after significant improvements in modelling the effects of Reynolds number and wall temperature using new and existing data. Moreover, previously obtained experimental results for a limited range of travelling speeds were employed to validate the obtained numerical results. Three ranges of shock travelling speeds with distinctly different properties were extracted and quantitatively described using a developed correlation-based approach built on the extended quasi-stationary scaling law. In the first range, the scaled interaction length reaches its maximum for the given interaction strength and can be directly described by the scaling law obtained for quasi-stationary interactions. In the second travelling-speed range, the dependence of the interaction length on the interaction strength is explicitly influenced by the shock movement. With increasing shock travelling speed, the scaled interaction length here decreases significantly faster than in the quasi-stationary reference case. The end of this speed range is reached when the absolute shock front speed has caught up with the maximum speed of sound in the interaction zone, and thus the interaction length has fallen to zero. This travelling-speed limit signifies the transition to the third range, where upstream influence is no longer possible.

On the Self-Similarity in an Annular Isolator under Rotating Feedback Pressure Perturbations

In this paper, the transient flow simulation in an annular isolator under rotating feedback pressure perturbations simplified from the rotating denotation wave (RDW) is performed. The instantaneous flow characteristics and the self-similarity of the isolator flow-field are investigated in detail. It is found that a helical moving shock wave (MSW) and a quasi-toroidal terminal shock wave (TSW) are induced in the isolator. Hence, the flow-fields on the meridian planes could be classified into three zones, i.e., the undisturbed zone, the terminal shock wave/moving shock wave/boundary layer interaction (TSW/MSW/BLI) zone and the moving shock wave/boundary layer interaction (MSW/BLI) zone. The TSW/MSW/BLI zone is characterized by the coupling of the TSW/BLI and the MSW/BLI due to their small axial distance, which intensifies the adverse pressure gradient on the meridian planes, thus rolling up large separation bubbles developing along the MSW driven by the circular pressure gradient. In the MSW/BLI zone, the shock induces the boundary layer to separate, forming a helical vortex located at the foot of the MSW. During the upstream propagation process, the pattern of the MSWs transforms from a moving normal shock wave to a moving oblique shock wave with decreased strength. Moreover, after the collision with the MSWs, P, Temp and S of the flow elevate with the prompt decrease of va, while vθ increases to a higher level. Despite the deflection effect of the MSWs on the streamlines, the flow direction of the air still maintains an almost axial position at the exit, except in the adjacent region of the MSW. Likewise, three types of zones can be determined in the flow pattern at the exit: the rotating detonation wave/boundary layer interaction (RDW/BLI) zone, the expansion zone, and the vortices discharge zone. Comparing the transient flow patterns at different moments in one cycle and between adjacent cycles, an interesting discovery is that the self-similarity property is observed in the flow-field of the annular isolator under rotating feedback pressure perturbations. The global flow structure of the isolator at different moments shows good agreement despite its rotation with the RDW, and the surface pressure profiles of the corresponding meridian planes all match perfectly. Such a characteristic indicates that the rotation angular velocity of the TSW and the MSW are equal and hold invariant, and the isolator flow could be regarded as a quasi-steady flow. On this basis, the theoretical model of the inclination angles of the MSW by the coordinate transformation and velocity decomposition is developed and validated. The relative errors of the inclination angles between the predicted and measured results are below 3%, which offers a rapid method to predict the shape of the MSW, along with a perspective to better understand the physical meaning of the shape of the MSW.

Начально-краевая задача о течении в кровеносном сосуде

The solution of the initial boundary value problem for a system of two quasi-linear hyperbolic equations, which describes a rotationally symmetric vortex-free flow of a viscous incompressible fluid in an infinite cylindrical domain (pipe, blood vessel) is constructed. It is assumed that the side surface of the domain is a free (soft, compliant) boundary on which the kinematic condition is set. The dynamic condition at the boundary is modeled by some constitutive relation – the dependence of the pressure P on the cross-sectional area S of the cylindrical domain. To study the flow an asymptotic model based on the shallow water theory is used. When constructing the solution of the initial-boundary (as well as initial and boundary) problem for a system of two quasilinear partial differential equations of the first order, the hodograph method based on the conservation law is used. A variant of the polynomial constitutive relation is chosen for the study: P~S2β (β>0). In the case of the initial data problem which specified at the initial time the Riemann-Green function, allowing to construct an implicit analytical solution, and an algorithm (numerical) for constructing an explicit solution of the original problem are given. The main attention is focused on the special case P~S2, for which all the formulas necessary to construct a solution are written in explicit form. For P~S2, several variants of conditions (initial and boundary value) are considered for the initial boundary value problem, which allow us to trace the evolution of the solution in detail. Numerical calculations demonstrating the motion of shock waves and wave fronts are given. The results obtained, in practice, can be used to describe flows in blood vessels, as well as reliable tests for testing compu tational algorithms intended to solve such problems, in particular, systems of quasi-linear hyperbolic equations.

Investigation of dust lifting by a moving shock wave based on compressible multiphase particle-in-cell method

A dust lifting process by shock waves performs high complexity and is of significance for industrial safety. To develop an in-depth understanding of an inherent physical mechanism of dust lifting, this study presents a detailed consideration regarding particle force models. First, a set of compressive force models of those that may affect lifting is distinguished, which afterwards is integrated into the original compressible multiphase particle-in-cell (CMP-PIC) method. Second, the value of the restitution coefficient is determined using the sensitivity analysis method. Good agreement of the dust lifting height is achieved between the numerical and different experimental results, which demonstrate the reliability of the CMP-PIC method. Then, the contributions of different kinds of forces to dust lifting are qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed. Flow field analysis shows that the shock-induced flow produces downward drag and pressure gradient forces on the particles to inhibit the rise of the particles, while the Magnus and Saffman forces perform a promoting role. Additionally, the compression wave and its reflected wave in the granular medium are clearly observed. Specially, when the reflected wave reaches the surface, huge collision forces on the particles and significantly promotes the initial lifting of particles. Moreover, the histories of forces acting on the particles at different layers of dust are discussed. The results show that different kinds of forces perform intense space-time dependent characteristics, and the dominant forces at different stages of dust lifting are identified. A dimensionless analysis of the force model qualitatively justifies the simulation results. The influence of the shock strength is also discussed.

Unsteady Aerodynamics Around a Pitching Airfoil with Shock and Shock-Induced Boundary-Layer Separation

This study numerically investigated the characteristics of unsteady aerodynamic forces around a pitching airfoil in the transonic flow regime. The unsteady Reynolds-averaged compressible Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations were solved using a Spalart–Allmaras (SA) turbulence model. The pitching NACA64A010 airfoil at mean angles of attack of 0, 2, 4, and 6 deg with the amplitude of 1 deg and reduced frequency of 0.2 was parametrically simulated. The study found that the trend of the unsteady aerodynamic characteristics around the pitching airfoil, particularly that of the unsteady lift force, significantly changes with the mean-angle-of-attack conditions. The shock-induced boundary-layer separation and reattachment during the pitching oscillation have a crucial role in determining the trend of the unsteady aerodynamic forces, such as the phase-delayed or phase-advanced features for the variation in the angle of attack. The boundary-layer separation during the oscillation, observed at a high mean angle of attack of 6 deg, produces the phase-advanced feature of the lift force. Because the phase-advanced feature is associated with a positive damping effect, the result indicates that the boundary-layer separation may serve as a stabilizing effect on the pitching airfoil motion. The boundary-layer reattachment from separation during the airfoil oscillation, observed at an intermediate mean angle of attack of 4 deg, generates an unusual shock wave movement, resulting in a unique lift loop for the variation in the angle of attack. The study also demonstrated a good prediction accuracy of the URANS with the SA model for the unsteady aerodynamics around the pitching airfoil with the shock and shock-induced boundary-layer separation.

Dynamics of planar gas expansion during nanosecond laser evaporation into a low-pressure background gas

A numerical study in a one-dimensional planar formulation of the dynamics of the neutral gas expansion during nanosecond laser evaporation into a low-pressure background gas is carried out using two different kinetic approaches: the direct simulation Monte Carlo method and direct numerical solution of the Bhatnagar–Gross–Krook equation. Results were obtained for a wide range of parameters: the background gas pressure, masses of evaporated and background particles, temperature and pressure of saturated vapor on the evaporation surface, and evaporation duration. They are in good agreement with the analytical continuum solution for unsteady evaporation into the background gas. The dynamics of the expansion is analyzed, and the characteristic times and distances that determine the main stages of the expansion process are established. General regularities are obtained that describe the dynamics of the motion of external and internal shock waves and the contact surface as well as the maximum density of evaporated particles and the characteristic temperatures of evaporated and background particles in the compressed layer. The obtained results are important for understanding and describing the change in the mixing layer during nanosecond laser deposition in a low-pressure background gas.

Large-eddy simulations and modal reconstruction of laminar transonic buffet

Transonic buffet refers to the self-sustained periodic motion of shock waves observed in transonic flows over wings and can limit the flight envelope of aircraft. Based on the boundary layer characteristics at the shock foot, buffet has been classified as laminar or turbulent and the mechanisms underlying the two have been proposed to be different (Dandois et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 18, 2018, pp. 156–178). The effect of various flow parameters (freestream Mach and Reynolds numbers and sweep and incidence angles) on laminar transonic buffet on an infinite wing (Dassault Aviation's supercritical V2C aerofoil) is reported here by performing large-eddy simulations (LES) for a wide range of parameters. A spectral proper orthogonal decomposition identified the presence of a low-frequency mode associated with buffet and high-frequency wake modes related to vortex shedding. A flow reconstruction based only on the former shows periodic boundary-layer separation and reattachment accompanying shock wave motion. A modal reconstruction based only on the wake mode suggests that the separation bubble breathing phenomenon reported by Dandois et al. is due to this mode. Together, these results indicate that the physical mechanisms governing laminar and turbulent buffet are the same. Buffet was also simulated at zero incidence. Shock waves appear on both aerofoil surfaces and oscillate out of phase with each other indicating the occurrence of a Type I buffet (Giannelis et al., Aerosp. Sci. Technol., vol. 18, 2018, pp. 89–101) on a supercritical aerofoil. These results suggest that the mechanisms underlying different buffet types are the same.

Investigation of Shock Wave Oscillation Suppression by Overflow in the Supersonic Inlet

With a focus on the shock oscillation phenomenon of a supersonic inlet at a high Mach number, the influence of isolator overflow on shock oscillation is studied in this paper. The shock wave dynamic model with overflow was established by the theoretical method, and the integrated numerical model of internal flow and external flow in the inlet was established too. The theoretical analysis of rate of overflow and overflow position on the flow field is carried out, and the changes of flow field parameters are studied by numerical simulation under different overflow positions. The results showed that both increasing the rate of overflow and setting the overflow gap close to the shock front were beneficial to reducing the flow parameters’ oscillation. In the viscous flow field, the overflow gap restricted the forward development of the local separation region of the shock train system, thus constraining the shock wave movement process, which could significantly reduce the parameter oscillation. In model C with two groups of overflow gaps, pressure oscillations of sampling point PU8 and PL8 were reduced to 29.81% and 30.56% relative to without overflow, and the corresponding rate of overflow was within 3.6%, which indicated that the appropriate overflow gap setting could effectively suppress the self-excited oscillation in the inlet.

An enhanced hybrid deep neural network reduced-order model for transonic buffet flow prediction

In the transonic flight environment, transonic buffet has significant influence on the aerodynamic characteristics of aircraft. In the face of the strong nonlinear characteristics of transonic buffet, the reduced-order model (ROM) technology based on deep learning (DL) is introduced to study the flow field. In this article, an enhanced hybrid deep neural network (eHDNN) consisting of Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and Convolutional Long Short-Term Memory (ConvLSTM) neural network is constructed as the ROM of unsteady transonic buffet flow field. By mining the spatial-temporal characteristic of buffet flow directly from large-scale flow field data, the eHDNN can predict complex flow characteristics such as shock wave motion in the unsteady buffet flow. Structural similarity information and nonlinear improvement strategies are introduced to improve the nonlinear expression ability of eHDNN. The predicted result is consistent with the numerical simulation and has high degree of prediction accuracy. In addition, the eHDNN has good generalization ability, which can predict the spatial-temporal evolution of buffet flow field at unknown angles of attack. The prediction method has good application prospect of the transonic buffet flow control and prediction, which also provides experience for DL modeling in other complex and strongly nonlinear flows.

About graphite evaporation dynamics caused by radiation in near zone of magnetoplasma compressor discharge

The results of processes above the surface of graphite samples which exposed with powerful vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) radiation experimental studies are presented. The characteristic radiation exposure time was 3...100 μs, the radiation energy in the vacuum region of the spectrum was 1...2 kJ. The main characteristics of the processes were recorded on direct, shadow photographs and interferograms. The temporal dynamics of the expansion of the plasma layer formed during evaporation of the flat graphite targets surface by VUV radiation, as well as the dynamics of buffer gas compression and shock wave motion are analyzed. It is shown that the temperature of the carbon plasma above the samples surface reached 1 eV. Research is relevant in the fields of space, plasma technologies, the development of the element base of microelectronics and fundamental studies of the powerful radiation interaction with matter.