NASA TECHNICAL TRANSLATION NASA TT F-12,967

INVESTIGATION OF THE INTERACTION OF A SPHERICAL

SHOCK WAVE WITH BODIES

A. N. Ivanov and S. Yu. Chernyavskiy

Translation of ~Issledovaniyevzaimodeystviya sfericheskoy

udarnoy volny s telami," Zhurnal Prikladnoy Mekhaniki
i Tekhnicheskoy Fiziki, No. 6, 1969, pp. 115-119

NATIONAL AEFtONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON, D, C, 20546 APRIL 1970
 NASA nt F-12,967

INVESTIGATION OF THE INTERACTION OF A SPHERICAL

SHOCK WAVE WITH BODIES

A, N. Ivanov and S. Yu, Chernyavskiy

ABSTRACT: This paper reviews the interaction of a spheri-

cal explosion wave featured by significant unsteadiness
of the flow behind the shock wave. The pulse force (the
integral of the force in terms of time) communicated by
the explosion wave to a stationary cylindrical body was
measured, and the formation of the picture of the flow
near a blunt flying body was investigated.

Most of the results of the investigation of the interaction of shock L.115

waves with bodies are obtained experimentally in shock tubes characterized by
constant parameters for the flow behind the wave front, as is the case in
[l, 21, for example. This paper reviews the interaction of a spherical
explosion wave featured by a significant unsteadiness of the flow behind the
shock wave. The pulse force (the integral of the force in terms of time)
communicated by the explosion wave to a stationary cylindrical body was
measured, and the formation of the picture of the flow near a blunt flying
body was investigated.

1. Measurement of the force pulse. A chemical explosive charge was

detonated during the experiments to form the spherical shock wave, The wave
interacted with a cylinder of circular cross section freely suspended by thin
wires in a direction perpendicular to the direction of propagation of the
shock wave. Since cylinder mass remained constant throughout the experiment,
and since the reactions of the suspension wires in the direction of motion can
be ignored, the magnitude of the force pulse at each moment in time is pro-
portional to body speed, Two methods were used to find instantaneous speeds.
One used an electrical signal time integrator, with the signal supplied by a
piezoelectric accelerometer installed on the body, and the other used the
electromagnet method.

* Numbers in the right margin indicate pagination in the foreign text,

 A type IS-313 piezoelectric accelerometer, 16 x 16 x 19 rnm3, with a
sensitivity of 0.5 millivolt second2/meter, was installed in the center of
the cylinder to obtain the measurements by the first of these methods. The
signal from the accelerometer was transmitted over an antivibration cable
to a preamplifier, then integrated with respect to time by an integration
amplifier and recorded on a two-channel oscilloscope. The second channel
of the oscilloscope was used to record the signal from the accelerometer
for the excess static pressure behind the front of the explosion wave [31.
A piezoelectric synchronization pickup triggered the oscilloscope.

Prior to the installation of the accelerometer in the cylinder, the

entire channel used to measure the speed was calibrated by a pneumatic
device consisting of a high-pressure chamber, a section of cylindrical pipe,
and a quick-acting electrically operated valve that prevented the air from
entering the pipe from the chamber. A piston, and a bracket for securing
the calibrated pickup, were installed in the pipe close to the valve. The
piston moved with uniform acceleration when the valve was opened, and its
speed at each moment in time was determined by the known values for initial
air pressure in the chamber, area of the transverse section of the piston,
and mass of piston and accelerometer,

The static pressure pickup was calibrated by a pneumatic pulser [&I,

The installation of the accelerometer in the cylinder involved

centering the accelerometer with set screws and filling the cylinder with
Wood's metal with a melting point of 60°C. This method simplified in-
stallation and removal of the accelerometer, and increased the frequency of
the accelerometer's natural oscillations with respect to the cylinder.

The cylinder itself, made of current-conducting material and set in a

constant magnetic field with an intensity of approximately 150 oersteds,
uniform in the direction in which the shock wave was moving, was the speed
pickup when the electromagnet method was used, The field was created by an
electromagnet with pole tips, the sections of which measured 10 x 200 mm 2 ,
oriented with respect to the center of the explosion and fitted with
deflectors, Control measurements in the working zone between the poles,
made with static and full pressure pickups C31, revealed that the presence
of t h e electromagnet had p r a c t i c a l l y no e f f e c t on t h e n a t u r e of t h e flow
behind t h e f r o n t of t h e explosion wave. Two t h i n , r i g i d , e l e c t r o d e s ,
o r i e n t e d i n t h e d i r e c t i o n c y l i n d e r movement, were f a s t e n e d t o t h e c y l i n d e r .
The emf induced a c r o s s t h e ends of t h e e l e c t r o d e s a s t h e c y l i n d e r was moved
by t h e explosion wave was recorded on a two-channel o s c i l l o s c o p e . A signal
from t h e p i e z o e l e c t r i c s t a t i c p r e s s u r e pickup was s u p p l i e d t o t h e second
channel, a s i n t h e first method.

C a l i b r a t i o n of t h e channel used t o measure speed by t h e electromagnet

method was by t h e pneumatic device described above. The p i s t o n of t h e c a l i -
b r a t i n g device was r i g i d l y connected t o t h e c y l i n d e r under i n v e s t i g a t i o n and
i n s t a l l e d d i r e c t l y i n t h e t e s t zone.

The t o t a l e r r o r i n measuring t h e f o r c e p u l s e s by both methods described

w a s not i n excess of lo%, while t h e e r r o r i n t h e s t a t i c p r e s s u r e measurement
was 396.

The accelerometer was used t o measure t h e f o r c e pulse communicated by

t h e explosion wave t o c y l i n d e r s w i t h diameters D = 28 mm (210 mm l o n g ) , and
D = 50 mm (300 mm long). The electromagnet method was used t o i n v e s t i g a t e
t h e i n i t i a l s e c t i o n of t h e p u l s e curve f o r c y l i n d e r s w i t h diameters D = 28 mm
(210 mm long) and D = 10 mm (100 mm long).

A l l c y l i n d e r s were t e s t e d a t a f i x e d d i s t a n c e of 5.1 meters from t h e

c e n t e r of t h e explosion, w i t h i n i t i a l a i r p r e s s u r e p
0
= 1.0; 0.3 kg/cm
2
.
The r e l a t i v e s t a t i c p r e s s u r e drop a t t h e explosion wave f r o n t was
2
Apl p . 2 5 t o 1.1 f o r po = 1.0 kg/cm

2
t o 1.1 f o r p = 0.3 kg/cm.
0

Typical oscillograms f o r a f o r c e p u l s e , I , i n terms of t i m e , T, obtained

With t h e c y l i n d e r f o r v a r i o u s shock wave parameters, a r e shown i n F i g u r e s 1 a ,
b , and c , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h e corresponding curves f o r excess s t a t i c p r e s s u r e
Ap. D i s t i n g u i s h a b l e on t h e oscillograms is t h e i n i t i a l s e c t i o n showing t h e
r a p i d rise of t h e p u l s e , and terminating a t a maximum (Figures 1 a , b) o r a t
a p o i n t of i n f l e c t i o n ( F i g u r e 1 c ) . The time and p u l s e values corresponding
t o t h e s e p o i n t s a r e designated T, and I,, The r a t e of change i n t h e p u l s e
decreased significantly t h e r e a f t e r , When t h e compression phase o f t h e
explosion wave, T+, ended, t h e magnitude of t h e p u l s e reached t h e value of I
+ .
It should be pointed out t h a t t h e s c a t t e r i n t h e r e s u l t s was g r e a t l y i n
excess of t h e measurement e r r o r s , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n t h e c a s e of t h e magnitude of
I
+ . This can be e x p l a i n e d , a p p a r e n t l y , by t h e i n s t a b i l i t y i n t h e phenomenon
investigated.

The magnitude of t h e time i n t e r v a l corresponding t o t h e i n i t i a l s e c t i o n

can be r e p r e s e n t e d i n dimensionless form by t, = T, c /D, where c is t h e
1 1
speed of sound a t t h e shock wave f r o n t . A t t h e same time, i n t h e c a s e s i n v e s t i -
g a t e d , t h e magnitude of t, proved t o be p r a c t i c a l l y i d e n t i c a l , and was, on t h e
average, t , 2.0.
~ Comparing t h i s value with t h e r e s u l t s of t h e experiments
made i n connection w i t h t h e i n v e s t i g a t i o n of t h e i n t e r a c t i o n of a c y l i n d e r with
a plane shock wave C21, t h e conclusion is t h a t t h e i n i t i a l s e c t i o n of t h e r i s e
i n t h e p u l s e corresponds f o r t h e most p a r t t o t h e process of d i f f r a c t i o n of
t h e shock wave f r o n t a t t h e c y l i n d e r . The magnitude of t h e dimensionless
f o r c e p u l s e communicated t o t h e body a t moment t, can a l s o prove t o be con-
s t a n t ( w i t h i n t h e l i m i t s of t h e s c a t t e r i n t h e experimental d a t a )

H e r e Ap2 is t h e excess p r e s s u r e f o r normal r e f l e c t i o n of t h e shock wave

f r o n t , computed using t h e known values f o r p and Apl, and S is t h e a r e a of
0
t h e middle of t h e c y l i n d e r .

Figure 1. Figure 2,

The change i n t h e p u l s e when T, < T < T

+?
is f o r t h e most p a r t d e t e r -
mined by t h e e f f e c t on t h e c y l i n d e r of t h e two f o r c e s a c t i n g i n opposite
d i r e c t i o n s , t h a t is, by t h e v e l o c i t y head of t h e unsteady i n c i d e n t gas flow,
and by t h e f o r c e r e s u l t i n g from t h e presence of t h e n e g a t i v e p r e s s u r e
g r a d i e n t and t h e v e l o c i t y of t h e gas i n the explosion wave, Consequently,
..
t h e magnitude I can be l e s s t h a n , equal t o , o r g r e a t e r t h a n t h e magnitude I,
+
(Figure 11, depending on t h e flow regim.3.

It i s of i n t e r e s t t o compare t h e f u l l p u l s e ,
communicated t o t h e
I+,
body a t t h e moment t h e compression phase of ' t h e explosion wave t e r m i n a t e s ,
w i t h t h e p u l s e from t h e v e l o c i t y head, f o r t h i s same time i n t e r v a l .
I0 '
= c
Their r a t i o , I + / I ~ can be taken a s t h e e f f e c t i v e c o e f f i c i e n t of
i '
r e s i s t a n c e f o r t h e c y l i n d e r , averaged f o r t i m e T .
The b a s i c parameters
+
s e l e c t e d t o c h a r a c t e r i z e t h i s c o e f f i c i e n t can be t h e shock wave f r o n t Mach
number, Reynolds nuiaber, and Strouhal number

where ul, P l , Pi a r e v e l o c i t y , d e n s i t y , and t h e v i s c o s i t y f a c t o r f o r t h e gas

a t t h e f r o n t , computed using t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p s f o r a d i r e c t shock wave. The
Mach number, MI, was not i n excess of 0.5 i n t h e experiments conducted. As
is known(from l5, 61, f o r example), i n t h i s range, and i n t h e c a s e of a s t e a d y
flow over t h e c y l i n d e r , change i n t h e Mach number has l i t t l e e f f e c t on t h e
dependence of t h e c o e f f i c i e n t of r e s i s t a n c e , c on t h e Reynolds number ( f o r
x'
6
lo5 < R < 10 ). Assuming t h i s is a l s o c o r r e c t f o r t h e unsteady c a s e , l e t us
i n v e s t i g a t e t h e e f f e c t of j u s t t h e Reynolds and Strouhal numbers on t h e
c o e f f i c i e n t c..
1

F i g u r e 2 shows t h e values of t h e magnitude c obtained f o r t h i s paper,

i
and f o r purposes of comparison, t h e c o e f f i c i e n t of r e s i s t a n c e f o r a c y l i n d e r
of i n f i n i t e e l o n g a t i o n i n t h e c a s e of a s t e a d y flow C51 ( t h e s o l i d c u r v e ) i n
terms of t h e Reynolds number, The p u l s e from t h e v e l o c i t y head was e s t a b l i s h e d
by using t h e r e s u l t s contained i n r e f e r e n c e C71.

A l l experiments were broken down i n t o groups with s i m i l a r S t r o u h a l

number values : 1 (S1 4 2-51, 2 (4.5 r S1 6 - 5 ) , 3 ( 7 - 5 5 S1 s 9.5).
4 (10.5 5 S1 S 1 4 ) , 5 (21 i S 5 26). Averaged curves f o r c = c ( R ~ Were )
1 i i
c o n s t r u c t e d f o r each group of p o i n t s (with t h e exception of t h e group c o r r e -
sponding t o t h e S t r o u h a l number S 2.5)- A s w i l l be s e e n from Figure 2 ,
1=
when R = c o n s t a n t t h e e f f e c t i v e c o e f f i c i e n t of r e s i s t a n c e f o r t h e c y l i n d e r
1
w i l l i n c r e a s e w i t h i n c r e a s e i n t h e S t r o u h a l number, When t h e S t r o u h a l number
is c o n s t a n t c w i l l decrease with i n c r e a s e i n t h e Reynolds number, as i n t h e
i
c a s e of t h e s t e a d y flow,
 2.

A spherical explosion wave was created using the same method as in para-
graph 1. The body, accelerated to the necessary speed by a gas gun, was moved
toward the wave front. The gun consisted of a barrel, a high-pressure chamber,
and a quick-acting electrically operated valve installed between them,

A type IAB-451 schlieren interferometer visualized the interaction between

the shock wave and the body. An SFR-2M streak camera (in the continuous scan
mode) was used in combination with a generator providing flashes with a duration L/18
of 0.1 microsecond and a spacing frequency of up to 30 kHz, to obtain the
sequential series of images of the flow picture.

Taking the motion picture film of the interaction between the flying body
and the explosion wave required selecting the moment the explosive charge was
detonated, and the moment the gas gun's electrically operated valve was opened,
so as to have the meeting between the body and the wave front take place in the
field of view of the optical system and still have the mirror of the streak
camera in a position such that the image would strike the motion picture film,
This was accomplished by having the signal from the SFR-2M camera's synchro
transmitter amplified and shaped and then fed into the unit controlling the
electrically operated valve for the gas gun. This caused the valve to open and
acceleration of the body to begin. This same signal passed through a delay line
and triggered the unit that set off the explosive charge. The moment the shock
wave neared the recording zone, the flash generator began to function, triggered
by the piezoelectric synchronization pickup.

Figure 3 shows the schlieren photographs of the interaction between the

spherical air explosion wave and a body flying toward its front, The body was a
polystyrene foam cylinder with a hemispherical nose, 50 mm long, 20 mm in dia-
meter, and weighing 0-7gram. Speed of the body in nonturbulent air corresponded
to a Mach number of M = 0.82. The excess static pressure at the wave front in
the area of the encounter between the shock wave and the flying body was
2
1.2 kg/cm for a compression phase of 3,5 milliseconds, All experiments were
conducted at a normal atmospheric pressure of 1.03 kg/cm
2
.
The time intervals
between the frames was 0,107 millisecond, The error in measuring the speed of
the body was not in excess of 2qd, that in the measurement of the excess static
pressure 496, and that in the measurement of the time interval 0~5%.
 Figure 3.

The photographs show t h e i n t e n s i v e nose wave forming a s t h e body e n t e r s t h e

flow behind t h e explosion wave f r o n t . The domain delimited by t h e nose wave
expands r a p i d l y with time, A t t h e same time, distance d from t h e leading c r i t i c a l
p o i n t f o r t h e body t o t h e nose shock wave a l s o increases, Figure 4 shows t h e
values of t h i s d i s t a n c e i n terms of t h e r a d i u s of bluntness of t h e nose, r , and
of dimensionless time 7. In t h e f i g u r e c = d/r, 7 = 1 / 2 ~ c l / r e

Here T is t h e time t h a t has elapsed s i n c e t h e wave f r o n t and body met. Also

seen is t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p between e and 7 , obtained i n experiments with a s t a t i o n -
a r y sphere i n a shock tube when t h e flows behind t h e shock wave were c l o s e t o
Mach numbers [8]. It can be pointed out t h a t when 7 2 t h e r a t i o of c t o 7
f o r a moving blunt c y l i n d e r and a s t a t i o n a r y sphere a r e p r a c t i c a l l y i d e n t i c a l ,
With increase i n 7 t h e d i s t a n c e from t h e nose wave t o t h e body i n t h e shock tube
becomes a f i x e d value corresponding t o t h e shape of t h e body and t h e Mach number
f o r t h e i n c i d e n t flow. The explosion wave can be characterized by a continuous
drop i n gas v e l o c i t y with time, a s a r e s u l t of which t h e Mach number, M, f o r t h e
flow i n c i d e n t t o t h e body s t e a d i l y decreases, and t h e nose wave recession
i n c r e a s e s accordingly. The dependence of t h e magnitude of c on t h e l o c a l value &l9
f o r M is t h e s o l i d l i n e i n Figure 5 , M magnitudes were computed using t h e
m a t e r i a l s contained i n reference C71 with t h e experimental measurements of t h e
 excess pressure values at the wave front and the speed of the body taken into
consideration.

Figure 4. Figure 5.

This same figure shows analogous dependencies for the case of a steady
flow over the sphere, obtained experimentally C81 1, C9l 2, and computed
through [lo] (the dotted curve), as well as the value of the magnitude E for
M = 1.2, found by A, I. Golubinskiy for a body similar to that investigated in
this paper (and designated by the x).

The experimental results shown in Figures 4 and 5 lead to the conclusion

that the process involved in the formation of the nose wave in the case investi-
gated can be broken down conditionally into two stages: the first, essentially
unsteady; and the second, quasisteady. In the second stage, the distance between
the nose wave and the body at each moment in time is close to the value obtained
for a steady-state flow when the Mach number for the incident flow is changing.
The transition from the first stage to the second begins at 7 rn 2.

The authors wish to thank A, I, Golubinskiy for the experimental materials

on steady flow around models he provided,

Submitted 6 January 1969

'
Translated for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration under contract
No. NASw-2038 by Translation Consultants, Ltd., 944 South Wakefield Street,
Arlington, Virginia 22204.
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