282 CHAPTER 14. OBLIQUE SHOCK
Fig. -14.16. The “detached” shock in a com-
plicated configuration sometimes referred to as
Mach reflection.
Additionally, it can be observed for
a maximum oblique shock that a constant
deflection angle decrease of the Mach
number results in an increase of Mach an-
gle (weak shock only) M
1
> M
2
=⇒
θ
1
< θ
2
. The Mach number decreases
after every shock. Therefore, the maxi-
mum deflection angle decreases with a de-
crease the Mach number. Additionally,
due to the symmetry a slip plane angle can
be guessed to be parallel to original flow,
hence δ
1
= δ
2
. Thus, this situation causes
the detached shock to appear in the sec-
ond oblique shock. This detached shock
manifested itself in a form of curved shock (see Figure 14.16).
The analysis of this situation is logically very simple, yet the mathematics is
somewhat complicated. The maximum deflection angle in this case is, as before, only
a function of the upstream Mach number. The calculations for such a case can be
carried out by several approaches. It seems that the most straightforward method is
the following:
(a) Calculate M
1
B
;
(b) Calculate the maximum deflection angle, θ
2
, utilizing (14.36) equation
(c) Calculate the deflection angle, δ
2
utilizing equation (14.12)
(d) Use the deflection angle, δ
2
= δ
1
and the Mach number M
1
B
to calculate M
1
B
.
Note that no maximum angle is achieved in this shock. Potto–GDC can be used
to calculate this ratio.
This procedure can be extended to calculate the maximum incoming Mach number, M
1
by checking the relationship between the intermediate Mach number to M
1
.
In discussing these issues, one must be aware that there are zones of dual solutions in
which sharp shock line coexists with a curved line. In general, this zone increases as
Mach number increases. For example, at Mach 5 this zone is 8.5
◦
. For engineering
purposes when the Mach number reaches this value, it can be ignored.
14.5.2 Oblique Shock Examples
Example 14.3:
Air flows at Mach number (M
1
) or M
x
= 4 is approaching a wedge. What is the
maximum wedge angle at which the oblique shock can occur? If the wedge angle is
20
◦
, calculate the weak, the strong Mach numbers, and the respective shock angles.
Solution
The maximum wedge angle for (M
x
= 4) D has to be equal to zero. The wedge angle