SUMMARY The free piston compreeslon shock tube provIdea a simple means of obtaining shock Mach numbers of the order of 30. This paper concerns the design and development at Cranfteld of such a shock tube. The problem6 encountered in evolving a pwton capable of withstanding heavy impacts at the completion of 50s stroke are outlined, and some preliminary shock tube perfonnanoe data given.

The end plate mounted at the mouth of the shock tube is a versatile and effective implement to control and mitigate the end effects. We have performed a series of measurements of incident shock wave velocities and overpressures followed by quantification of impulse values (integral of pressure in time domain) for four different end plate configurations (0.625, 2, 4 inches, and an open end). Sho...

A cryogenic shock tube has been developed as a tool for research in fluid mechanics and low-temperature physics. The shock tube was designed to operate with the test section immersed in a cryogenic liquid. A unique diaphragm-changing mechanism makes this shock tube an economical and practical device. There are several advantages in operating a shock tube at cryogenic temperatures. Shock waves o...

Formation of vortex rings at the exit of a shock tube is studied theoretically. A model for predicting the maximum circulation that a vortex ring can attain at the exit of a shock tube is offered. To achieve maximum circulation the initial conditions and the design of the driver and driven sections must be such that the generated shock wave reaches the shock tube exit at least 4Dn/^2 time units...

In this paper, the behavior of shock wave discharged from the pipe end is studied. The shock wave is generated using the shock tube (MO-tube). The flow field while the shock moves downstream is visualized using shadow photography and schlieren photography. The propagation of shock wave and the phenomenon of the occurrence of second vortex ring are examined and discussed.

This paper introduces an optical measurement system for shock wave characteristics. The system works by mountinga metal plate attached to spring mounts against the shock wavefront. This set is sealed and can plot the shock wave pressure diagram by measuring plate's displacement, radiation and changing the reflection of light during shock wave conflict, and converting these optical data to volta...

Shock propagation through a bubbly liquid filled in a deformable cylindrical tube is considered. Quasi-onedimensional bubbly flow equations that include fluid-structure interaction are formulated, and the steady shock relations are derived. Experiments are conducted in which a free-falling steel projectile impacts the top of an air/water mixture in a polycarbonate tube, and stress waves in the ...