Oblique Shock Wave Applications
Oblique shock waves are used predominantly in engineering applications when compared with normal shock waves. This can be attributed to the fact that using one or a combination of oblique shock waves results in more favorable post-shock conditions (lower post-shock temperature, etc.) when compared to utilizing a single normal shock. An example of this technique can be seen in the design of supersonic aircraft engine inlets, which are wedge-shaped to compress air flow into the combustion chamber while minimizing thermodynamic losses. Early supersonic aircraft jet engine inlets were designed using compression from a single normal shock, but this approach caps the maximum achievable Mach number to roughly 1.6. The wedge-shaped inlets are clearly visible on the sides of the F-14 Tomcat, which has a maximum speed of Mach 2.34.
Many supersonic aircraft wings are designed around a thin diamond shape. Placing a diamond-shaped object at an angle of attack relative to the supersonic flow streamlines will result in two oblique shocks propagating from the front tip over the top and bottom of the wing, with Prandtl-Meyer expansion fans created at the two corners of the diamond closest to the front tip. When correctly designed, this generates lift.
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