MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

CHAPTER 1
WAVE PROPAGATION IN
COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 1/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

1.1 INTRODUCTION

In incompressible flows, the density is constant.

Hence, the main variables are

(i) velocity
(ii) pressure

These variables may then be solved with the aid of

(i) continuity equation
(ii) momentum equation

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 2/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

In compressible flows, there are appreciable variations in density

Compressibility is especially important in high speed flows

Large changes in velocity results in large changes in pressure.

These pressure changes are accompanied with significant varietions in

(i) density
(ii) temperature

Then two more relations are required for the complete solution of the problem. These are

(i) energy equation

(ii) equation of state

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 3/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

1.2 WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA

Stationary dV
gas

When a sudden push is given to the piston, a layer of gas piles up next to the piston and is compressed
at the first instant, but the remainder of the gas is unaffected.

The compression wave created by the piston, moves through the gas and eventually all the gas is able to
feel this movement.

If the created pressure pulse is infinitesimally small, then this wave is called a sound wave and it moves
at the speed of sound..

When the medium is incompressible, there will be no piling up of the fluid and all the fluid feels the
motion instantaneously.

The speed of wave propagation is infinite in an incompressible fluid

(speed of sound)water > (speed of sound)air

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 4/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

1.3 SPEED OF SOUND

Pressure wave
moving Stationary Control
with velocity a pressure wave volume

p + dp p p + dp p
dV  + d a  a  dV  + d 
dV V=0 a  dV a
h + dh h h + dh h

p p

p + dp p + dp
p p

x x

V V
dV
x
x
 (a  dV)
a

The transformation is a dynamic transformation, since it only affects dynamic properties (velocity,
stagnation pressure, stagnation temperature) but does not affect the static properties (static pressure,
static temperature)

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 5/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

a) Continuity Equation
Stationary Control
pressure wave volume

p + dp p
a  dV  + d 
a  dV a
h + dh h

For steady flow, mass flow rate is constant

 = constant
m

For one-dimensional flow, properties are uniform (constant) over each cross-section.

 = ρaA = ( ρ + dρ )(a - dV ) A
m

where A is the cross-sectional area of the tube

0
ρaA = ρaA - ρAdV + aAdρ - AdρdV

a
dV = dρ
ρ

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 6/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

b) Momentum Equation

Sum of the external forces acting on the control volume must be balanced by the rate of change of linear
momentum across the control volume
Control
Control
volume
volume

(p + dp)A pA  (a - dV )
m 
ma

Fx
Fx

  ) (a - dV )
 + (-m
 = ( p + dp) A - pA  Adp = ma
Fx

  )  -(a - dV )
 )(-a ) + (m
= ( p + dp) A - pA  Adp = (-m

 - ma
Adp = ma  m
 dV

1
dV = dp
ρa

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 7/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

c) Energy Equation
Stationary Control
pressure wave volume

p + dp p
a  dV  + d 
a  dV a
h + dh h

Across an infinitesimal pressure wave, the frictional effects can be neglected, since the pressure wave is
very thin

The time is too short for heat transfer so that the process can be considered adiabatic

a2 (a - dV )2
h+ = ( h + dh ) +
2 2
0
a2 a2 (dV )2
h+ = h + dh +  adV 
2 2 2

dh = adV

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 8/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

d) Second Law of Thermodynamics

1
Momentum equation dV = dp
ρ dp
 dh =
ρ
Energy equation dh = a dV

From thermodynamics, Gibbs relation is

dp
Tds = dh -
ρ

Hence ds = 0

Therefore across an infinitesimal pressure wave, the entropy is constant

Continuity equation a
dV = dρ
ρ dp
 a2 =
1 dρ
Momentum equation dV = dp
ρa

To evaluate a thermodynamic property, the property to be held constant during differentiation should be
specified. For the present case, entropy is constant

 p 
a2 =  
 ρ  s

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 9/10
 MIDDLE EAST TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY
MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT

In isentropic flow, the density and pressure of a gas is related by

p
 constant
ρk

Taking logaritms
(11.6)
lnp - klnρ = ln(constant)

Differentiating

dp dρ
-k =0
ρ ρ

p
a= k
ρ

e) Equation of State

For a perfect gas p = ρRT

a = kRT

ME 503 ADVANCED GAS DYNAMICS 1. WAVE PROPAGATION IN COMPRESSIBLE MEDIA LECTURE 01 - 10/10