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A study on the expansion wave diffraction over bodies

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2025

Vishnu Prasad S. Open the ORCID record for Vishnu Prasad S. [Opens in a new window] ,
Anbu Serene Raj C. Open the ORCID record for Anbu Serene Raj C. [Opens in a new window] ,
Vinoth Paramanantham Open the ORCID record for Vinoth Paramanantham [Opens in a new window] ,
Athira C.M. Open the ORCID record for Athira C.M. [Opens in a new window]  and
Rajesh G. Open the ORCID record for Rajesh G. [Opens in a new window]
Vishnu Prasad S.
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
Anbu Serene Raj C.
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
Vinoth Paramanantham
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
Athira C.M.
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
Rajesh G.*
Affiliation:
Department of Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai 600036, India
*
Corresponding author: Rajesh G., rajesh@ae.iitm.ac.in
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Abstract

The investigation of shock/blast wave diffraction over various objects has garnered significant attention in recent decades on account of the catastrophic changes that these waves inflict on the environment. Equally important flow phenomena can occur when the moving expansion waves diffract over bodies, which has been hardly investigated. To investigate the effect of expansion wave diffraction over different bodies, we conducted shock tube experiments and numerical simulations to visualise the intricate wave interactions that occur during this process. The current investigation focuses on the phenomenon of expansion wave diffraction across three distinct diffracting configurations, namely the bluff, wedge and ogive bodies. The diffraction phenomenon is subsequently investigated under varying expansion wave strengths through the control of the initial diaphragm rupture pressure ratios. The shock waves generated by the expansion wave diffraction in the driver side of the shock tube, which was initially identified in numerical simulations by Mahomed & Skews (2014 J. Fluid Mech., vol. 757, pp. 649–664), have been visualised in the experiments. Interesting flow features, such as unsteady shock generation, transition, and symmetric/asymmetric vortex breakdown, have been observed in these expansion flows. An in-depth analysis of such intricate flow features resulting from expansion wave diffraction is performed and characterised in the current study.

JFM classification

Compressible Flows: Supersonic flow Compressible Flows: Shock waves
Type
JFM Papers
Information
Journal of Fluid Mechanics , Volume 1012 , 10 June 2025 , A24
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Copyright
© The Author(s), 2025. Published by Cambridge University Press

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Footnotes

Article updated 13 June 2025.

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