Mechanical Engineering 428, Compressible and Inviscid Fluid Dynamics

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Catalog description

Compressible flows: shock waves, blast waves, and nozzle flow. One-dimensional unsteady flow: simple waves, Riemann invariants, and shock tube. Steady supersonic flow. Prandtl-Meyer expansion.

Prerequisite: ME 425

Who takes it

This course is usually taken by graduate students majoring in Fluid Mechanics.

What it's about

This course is about compressible flow problems.

Lectures:

The topics covered in the course have traditionally been the following:

  • Linearized Potential Flow:
    • Basics of multipole expansions and application to panel methods in subsonic and supersonic steady flows.
  • Unsteady One-Dimensional Isentropic Flow:
    • Governing equations for small disturbances,
    • Physical implications, Riemann invariants,
    • Acoustic waves,
    • Wave behavior for shock-expansion problems.
  • Nonlinear Solutions to Unsteady One-Dimensional Problems:
    • Flows with body forces and varying entropy.
    • Computational applications.
  • Theory of Characteristics for Two Equations in Two Unknowns:
    • Hodograph method,
    • Mehod of characteristics,
    • Physical characteristics,
    • Compatibility relations,
    • Computational procedures.
  • Gas Dynamic Testing Facilities:
    • Overview of various kinds of apparatus for testing in compressible flows.
  • Hypersonic Small-Disturbance Theory:
    • Review of Prandtl-Meyer flows,
    • Similarity, infinite wedge,
    • Infinite cone,
    • Differential equations

Assignment/Evaluation:

Homeworks, journal paper reading assignments, projects, mid-term and final exams.

Contact:

Professor: Neelesh Patankar
e-mail: n-patankar@northwestern.edu

Professor: Sandip Ghosal
e-mail: s-ghosal@northwestern.edu