Non-ideal oblique shock waves

Abstract

From the analysis of the isentropic limit of weak compression shock waves, oblique shock waves in which the post-shock Mach number is larger than the pre-shock Mach number, named non-ideal oblique shocks, are admissible in substances characterized by moderate molecular complexity and in the close proximity to the liquid-vapour saturation curve. Non-ideal oblique shocks of finite amplitude are systematically analysed, clarifying the roles of the pre-shock thermodynamic state and Mach number. The necessary conditions for the occurrence of non-ideal oblique shocks of finite amplitude are singled out. In the parameter space of pre-shock thermodynamic states and Mach number, a new domain is defined which embeds the pre-shock states for which the Mach number increase can possibly take place. The present findings are confirmed by state-of-the-art thermodynamic models applied to selected commercially available fluids, including siloxanes and hydrocarbons currently used as working fluids in renewable energy systems.