A Three-Dimensional Interferometric CT Measurement and Visualization for High-Speed Flow Induced by Shock Waves Discharged from Open Ends

Three-dimensional flow phenomena have been observed in a shock tube experiment for shock waves and vortices by using an interferometric CT (Computed Tomography) technique with a N
2
pulse laser. A model with small duct, which has a pair of circular open ends, is introduced in a test section of diaphragmless shock tube, and can be rotated around its central axis to change the observation angle. The projection image of density distribution for each observation angle is obtained by using a fixed Mach-Zehnder interferometer. Three-dimensional density distribution is reconstructed from these projection images. The shock Mach number is 2.3 in nitrogen gas of 19.4kPa initial pressure at the exits of the open ends. The resultant 3-D density flow fields are illustrated by several imaging technique to clarify 3-D features of shock waves, vortices, and their mutual interactions. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is also applied to the 3-D flow fields. The CFD results can represent density and another properties in flow fields, and these properties are useful for identifying the phenomena. The mutual validation between the experimental CT density results and these CFD results is discussed. Three-dimensional features of flow fields are investigated in detail by analyzing the experimental CT results with CFD results.