Shock Wave Reflections Over Newtonian and Non-Newtonian Wedges: Experimental Investigation

Abstract

Shock wave reflections over Newtonian and non-Newtonian fluid wedges were studied to find the transition angle between regular and irregular reflections. To find this transition angle, various experiments were performed for non-rigid wedges at different Mach numbers and incident angles. Newtonian (water) and non-Newtonian (cornstarch-water mixture) fluid wedges were tested and compared. Because the cornstarch-water mixture is a shear-thickening liquid, a different transition angle than for pure water was expected. Results show that the transition angle of water is 2° higher than that of cornstarch-water mixture. This difference is mainly caused by viscous effects.