The Application of the Shock Tube to the Study of the Problems of Hypersonic Flight

This paper discusses some of the new scientific and technical problems introduced by the high temperature conditions encountered in hypersonic flight. Modifications of the shock tube which have been studied at Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory for the investigation of these problems are presented. The shock tube is one of the few laboratory instruments capable of generating the high temperature conditions in air encountered in hypersonic flight studied. The conventional shock tube is limited since the maximum flow Mach number that can be achieved behind a normal shock wave in air is approximately 3. When the conventional shock tube is terminated by an expansion nozzle, high Mach number flows can be achieved as well as high stagnation temperatures. Actual flow conditions can therefore be closely simulated for the investigation of heat transfer rates and other aerodynamic problems. The application of the shock tube to other areas of high temperature research is briefly discussed. In particular, a technique for the study of high temperature chemical reaction rates is described.