The mechanism of the Richtmyer-Meshkov instability was experimentally studied in a vertical rectangular shock tube. The velocity of the interface driven by the shock wave was measured by a self-designed measurement system, which consists of semiconductor lasers, signal amplification circuits, digital oscilloscope and computer. Tests were carded out at several shock wave Mach numbers. In addition, the movement of the interface and the variation of the mixed zone width with time were recorded by high-speed photography. The experimental results show that the interface velocity increases with the increase of the Mach number, and the distance of the interface＇s movement and the width of the mixed zone vary with time in a linear relationship.
An experimental research was carried out to study the fluid mechanics of underwater supersonic gas jets. High pressure air was injected into a water tank through converging-diverging nozzles (Laval nozzles). The jets were operated at different conditions of over-, full- and under-expansions. The jet sequences were visualized using a CCD camera. It was found that the injection of supersonic air jets into water is always accompanied by strong flow oscillation, which is related to the phenomenon of shock waves feedback in the gas phase. The shock wave feedback is different from the acoustic feedback when a supersonic gas jet discharges into open air, which causes screech tone. It is a process that the shock waves enclosed in the gas pocket induce a periodic pressure with large amplitude variation in the gas jet. Consequently, the periodic pressure causes the jet oscillation including the large amplitude expansion. Detailed pressure measurements were also conducted to verify the shock wave feedback phenomenon. Three kinds of measuring methods were used, i.e., pressure probe submerged in water, pressure measurements from the side and front walls of the nozzle devices respectively. The results measured by these methods are in a good agreement. They show that every oscillation of the jets causes a sudden increase of pressure and the average frequency of the shock wave feedback is about 5–10 Hz.
SHI HongHui1, WANG BoYi2 & DAI ZhenQing2 1 College of Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Zhejiang Sci-Tech University, Hangzhou 310018, China
