Shock Tube Design
Abstract
Shock accelerated flows exhibit some of the most violent and complex mechanisms in nature by which two separate fluids can be mixed. The Richtmyer-Meshkov instability (RMI) is generated when a perturbed interface between two fluids is impulsively accelerated by a shock wave. In order to further study the phenomenon of the RMI, a new shock tube will be designed. This shock tube will have the capability to change the angle of inclination, allowing for a diverse possibility of fluid interfaces, and provide two driver sections to allow for dual shock capability. The tube was designed to accommodate a 2.5 MACH shockwave, and incorporated a factor of safety of 3 in the design. A modular approach to design was followed to allow further diversification of the shock tube by changing the configuration of the modules. A circular driver section was used to maximize volume and a square driven section was used to minimize affects from the boundary layer. A slide rail mechanism was devised for changing the diaphragms which allows a single person to change the diaphragm in a timely manner. The entire tube is supported on an I-beam to maintain the rigidity of the system while inclined. To accommodate a variable inclination, a hybrid winch support system was designed. A winch changes the angle of the tube and a telescoping support system maintains the position during experimentation. It was determined after running COSMOS finite element stress analysis, that with the 2.5 MPa internal pressure associated with a 2.5 MACH shock wave, a 19.05 mm sidewall thickness was needed to provide a factor of safety of 3.
Subject
shock tubeCitation
Koppenberger, Peter K. (2010). Shock Tube Design. Texas A&M University. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /ETD -TAMU -2010 -05 -8146.