• DECEMBER 2019

Normal Shock Waves

Shock-Expansion Theory – Lesson 2

Intro to Normal Shocks
• A normal shock wave is a shock with the wave front normal to the freestream flow.
• Normal shocks occur, for example, in supersonic internal and jet flows.
• Studying a normal shock is the first step in gaining an understanding of shock waves.
• We will apply one-dimensional equations to derive relations for a normal shock.

Normal Shock
Sonic Line

Subsonic Flow

Normal Shock
Supersonic Zone

Flow over an Airfoil: M = 0.8 Supersonic Jet

Normal Shock Wave Model
• Since a shock is a wave, it will move relative to the fluid.
• If the fluid is stationary, we see the shock propagate in time, like a surface wave moving away from a
point disturbance on a body of water.
• We can look at the flow conditions across the shock by following the shock wave. In the frame of
reference of the moving shock, the fluid upstream and downstream of a control volume around the
shock is in motion as shown.

𝑝1 𝑝2
𝑇1 𝑇2
𝜌1 𝜌2
𝑢1 𝑢2

1 Shock wave 2
• The singular nature of the shock wave means that properties will change suddenly across the
shock. For the purposes of analysis, we can assume the shock is an infinitely thin surface
(discontinuity).
Derivation of Normal Shock Relations
• Recall the 1D governing equations for an adiabatic flow:
𝜌1 𝑢1 = 𝜌2 𝑢2 𝑝1 + 𝜌1 𝑢12 = 𝑝2 + 𝜌2 𝑢22 ℎ2 + 1Τ2 𝑢22 = ℎ1 + 1Τ2 𝑢12
continuity momentum energy
• They are based on the general conservation laws in a flow with a shock wave (regardless of the shock wave structure) if
stations 1 and 2 are upstream and downstream of the shock, respectively.

• The momentum equations can be re-arranged by dividing left- and right-hand sides by 𝜌1 𝑢1 and 𝜌2 𝑢2 , respectively, and taking
advantage of the continuity equation and the sound speed expression for an ideal gas, 𝑎2 = 𝛾𝑝/𝜌:

𝑎22 𝑎12
𝑢1 − 𝑢2 = −
𝛾𝑢2 𝛾𝑢1

• Further, utilizing the energy equation in the form 𝑎2 𝛾 + 1 ∗2

+ 12𝑢2 = 𝑎 gives:
𝛾−1 2(𝛾 − 1)
𝑢12 𝑎12 𝑢22 𝑎22 𝛾 + 1 ∗2
+ = + = 𝑎
2 𝛾−1 2 𝛾 − 1 2(𝛾 − 1)

which, after re-arrangement, leads to the Prandtl (or Meyer) relation: 𝑢1 𝑢2 = 𝑎∗ 2

Derivation of Normal Shock Relations (cont.)
• Expressing the Prandtl relation in terms of 𝑀∗ = 𝑢/𝑎∗ , we obtain:
𝑀2∗ = 1/𝑀1∗

• This leads to an important conclusion that the velocity change across a normal shock must be from
supersonic to subsonic.
‐ This relation is important in numerical shock identification schemes. The location of a shock can be found by
identifying regions where the Mach number normal to the shock changes from supersonic to subsonic .

• Using the expression for 𝑀∗ , the relation between the Mach numbers can be derived from the
Prandtl equation as:
𝛾−1 2
𝛾+1 𝑀2 1+ 𝑀1
⟹ 2
𝑀∗ 2 = 2
𝑀2 =
𝛾−1
𝛾 − 1 𝑀2 + 2 𝛾𝑀12 −
2
 Normal Shock Relations – Limiting Case

𝛾−1
Limiting case: 𝑀2 → (𝑀1 → ∞) 𝑴𝟐
2𝛾

𝑴𝟏
Normal Shock Relations – Velocity, Density and Pressure
• The expressions for velocity and density ratios can be easily derived as:

𝑢1 𝜌2 ∗2
𝛾 + 1 𝑀12
= = 𝑀1 =
𝑢2 𝜌1 𝛾 − 1 𝑀12 + 2

• Another important relation is the pressure jump across the shock (or shock strength) which can be derived from
the momentum equation:
Δ𝑝1 𝑝2 − 𝑝1 2𝛾
= = (𝑀12 − 1)
𝑝1 𝑝1 𝛾+1

• The temperature ratio can be derived either directly from the energy equation or from the relation 𝑇2 Τ𝑇1 =
(𝑝2 Τ𝑝1 )(𝜌1 Τ𝜌2 ):
𝑇2 𝑎22 2(𝛾 − 1) 𝛾𝑀12 + 1 2
= =1+ (𝑀1 − 1)
𝑇1 𝑎12 (𝛾 + 1)2 𝑀12
 Normal Shock Relations - Entropy
• The change in entropy across the shock can be obtained from the entropy relations for an ideal gas:

1/(𝛾−1) −𝛾/(𝛾−1)
𝑠2 − 𝑠1 𝑝2 𝜌2
= ln
𝑅 𝑝1 𝜌1 𝒔𝟐 − 𝒔𝟏
𝑹

⟹
1/(𝛾−1) 𝛾/(𝛾−1)
𝑠2 − 𝑠1 2𝛾 −𝛾/(𝛾−1)
𝛾−1
= ln 1+ 𝑚 1+𝑚 𝑚+1
𝑅 𝛾+1 ⟹ 𝛾+1

𝑠2 − 𝑠1 = 0 if 𝑀12 = 1
𝑠2 − 𝑠1 > 0 if 𝑀12 > 1
𝑠2 − 𝑠1 < 0 if 𝑀12 < 1
𝑚 = 𝑀12 − 1
𝑴𝟏
This condition is prohibited by the
Second Law of Thermodynamics

• Flow can only decelerate from supersonic to subsonic across the shock, but not the other way around.
Weak Normal Shock Approximations
• If 𝑀1 → 1 then 𝑚 ≪ 1 and the expression for entropy can be further simplified by the perturbation theory
technique:

𝑠2 − 𝑠1 2𝛾 (𝑀12 − 1)3
≈
𝑅 (𝛾 + 1)2 3
Increase in entropy is 3rd order in 𝑀12 − 1

⟹
3
𝑠2 − 𝑠1 2𝛾 Δ𝑝1
≈ rewriting in terms of shock strength
𝑅 12𝛾 2 𝑝1

• A weak shock produces a nearly isentropic change of state since the change of pressure is small across the
shock.
Normal Shock Relations – Total Conditions

• From the energy equation the total temperature is conserved across the shock, thus the change in entropy is
related to the ratio of total pressures only:
𝑠2 − 𝑠1 𝑝01
= ln
𝑅 𝑝02

• Finally, the ratio of total pressure can be expressed as :

−1/(𝛾−1) 𝛾/(𝛾−1)
𝑝02 2𝛾 (𝛾 + 1)𝑀12
= 1+ (𝑀12 − 1)
𝑝01 𝛾+1 𝛾 − 1 𝑀12 + 2
Calculating Shock Wave Properties
• All the derived expressions completely describe
the state downstream of the shock in terms of
flow variables upstream. 𝑝2 Τ𝑝1
1 10.0
• Using our model, we now have the tools to 0.9 𝑝𝑜2 Τ𝑝𝑜1 9.0
compute the property jumps across shock 0.8 8.0
waves as follows: 0.7 7.0
1. Upstream Mach number and thermodynamic 𝑀2

𝑻𝟐 𝒑𝟐 𝝆𝟐
𝑻𝟏 𝒑 𝟏 𝝆 𝟏
0.6 6.0

𝒑𝒐𝟐
𝒑𝒐𝟏
properties are known (𝑝1 , 𝑇1 , 𝜌1 , 𝑀1 , 𝛾).

, ,
0.5 5.0

𝑴𝟐 ,
2. Calculate the downstream Mach number 𝑀2 0.4 4.0
𝜌2 Τ𝜌1
using the Mach number equation. 0.3 3.0
3. Calculate all property ratios knowing 𝑀1 . 0.2 2.0
𝑇2 Τ𝑇1
0.1 1.0
4. Calculate the properties at 2 from the
property ratios. 1 2 3 4
𝑴𝟏
• Note that you may use tables and charts for air
Normal Shock Properties
or develop the solutions using a simple
spreadsheet.
Rankine-Hugoniot Relation
• All previous normal shock relations were derived in terms of velocities and Mach numbers.

• It is possible to express normal shock conditions in terms of thermodynamic variables only, thus representing
the shock as a thermodynamic device compressing the gas.

• Expressing velocities 𝑢1 and 𝑢2 from the continuity and momentum equations:

𝑝2 − 𝑝1 𝜌2 𝑝2 − 𝑝1 𝜌1
𝑢12 = 𝑢22 =
𝜌2 − 𝜌1 𝜌1 𝜌2 − 𝜌1 𝜌2

and substituting these expressions into the energy

equation written in terms of internal energy gives:

𝑝1 + 𝑝2 1 1 𝑝1 + 𝑝2
𝑒2 − 𝑒1 = − or 𝑒2 − 𝑒1 = 𝑣1 − 𝑣2 Hugoniot equation
2 𝜌1 𝜌2 2

• The Hugoniot equation was derived from general conservation laws without assuming the gas is ideal, and thus
it is valid for an ideal gas as well as a real gas or chemically reacting gas.
Rankine-Hugoniot Relation (cont.)
• Since a thermodynamic state variable can be expressed in terms of two other state variables, e. g., 𝑒 = 𝑒(𝑝, 𝑣),
pressure downstream of the shock can be written in terms of the upstream pressure and specific volumes
upstream and downstream, 𝑝2 = 𝑓 𝑝1 , 𝑣1 , 𝑣2 , which describe 𝑝2 as a function of 𝑣2 for a given 𝑝1 and 𝑣1 .

• A 𝑝𝑣 plot of this function is called a Rankine-Hugoniot curve, which represents all possible shocks at different
upstream velocities for a given pressure and specific volume (density) upstream.

• For an ideal gas, the Rankine-Hugoniot equation is: 𝑝 Isentropic curve 𝑝𝑣 𝛾 = 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡

−1 Hugoniot curve (shock wave compression)

𝑝2 𝛾 + 1 𝑣1 𝛾+1 𝑣1
= −1 − 2
𝑝1 𝛾 − 1 𝑣2 𝛾−1 𝑣2 𝑝2

1
𝑝1

Hugonoit curve vs. Isentropic

compression curve 𝑣2 𝑣1 𝑣
Summary

• In this lesson, we examined normal shock waves and derived their relations from the conservation
laws.

• These relations describe flow properties downstream of the shock in terms of upstream conditions.

• An important property of a normal shock is the deceleration of flow from supersonic to subsonic
across the shock, as dictated by the Second Law of Thermodynamics.

• We discussed the Rankine-Hugoniot equation and its relations, which connect thermodynamic
variables of state across a normal shock.