Experimental production of two-dimensional shock waves of arbitrary profile

A concept has been developed, and implemented, where the initial shape of a shock wave can, within limits, be arbitrarily set, with a fixed pressure ratio across it, and the duct into which it propagates can also be arbitrarily defined. A narrow slit is positioned on the end wall of a shock tube and is supplied by the essentially constant pressure behind the reflected wave from the shock tube operation. The wave propagating through the slit then enters a narrow test section positioned perpendicular to the main shock tube axis. Initial studies were for a converging cylindrical shock segment, followed by examples of more complex profiles producing waves having both converging (increasing strength), and diverging (decreasing strength) components.