On the propagation of weak shock waves in a radiating gas flow over a curved wall

Abstract

A method of strained coordinates is used to examine the propagation and attenuation of a weak shock wave in a two-dimensional steady supersonic flow of a radiating gas along a curved wall. The solution of the flow problem for the case of a concave or convex wall with a small angle ε (≪ 1) leading edge is presented up to first order of ε. The shape of the shock emanating from the concave corner is determined explicitly for the two cases when (a) the radiative decay length is of the order of characteristic length of the wall and when (b) the wall has a sharp corner. The effect of radiative heat flux present in the gas flow is to diminish the slope of the shock wave relative to the wall compared with its value in the absence of thermal radiation. When the Boltzmann number is large, the shock wave emanating from the corner is straight with its slope depending on the leading characteristic slope and the upstream flow Mach number. It is found that radiative effects do not influence the shock angle at the corner, however they do influence the shock curvature there. © 1990.