normalshock_02
Stagnation pressure and temperature probes are located on the nose of a supersonic aircraft at 35,000 ft
altitude. A normal shock stands in front of the probes. The temperature probe indicates T0 = 420 °F behind
the shock.
a. Calculate the Mach number and airspeed of the plane.
b. Find the static and stagnation pressures behind the shock.
c. Show the process and the static and stagnation points on a T-s diagram.
Page 1 of 2
normalshock_02
SOLUTION:
Ma1, p1, T1
1 2
The pressure and temperature at an altitude of 35,000 ft using a U.S. Standard Atmospheric table (e.g.
Table C.5 in Zucrow and Hoffman or using an online calculator such as
[Link] are:
p1 = 3.458 psia (1)
T1 = 393.9 °R (2)
The Mach number of the aircraft may be found by noting that the stagnation temperature remains constant
across the shock wave (T01 = T02 = 879 °R) and using the adiabatic stagnation temperature ratio:
-1
T1 æ g - 1 ö
= ç1 + Ma12 ÷ Þ Ma1 = 2.48 (3)
T01 è 2 ø
where, for air, g = 1.4. The velocity is found from the Mach number and speed of sound:
V1 = Ma1c1 = Ma1 g RT1 Þ V1 = 2410 ft/s (4)
where R = 53.3 (lbf×ft)/(lbm×°R).
The static pressure downstream of the shock, p2, may be found from the normal shock relations.
p2 2g g -1
= Ma12 - Þ p2 = 24.2 psia (5)
p1 g + 1 g +1
The stagnation pressure may be found by combining the stagnation pressure upstream of the shock with the
stagnation pressure ratio across the shock.
g
p1 æ g - 1 ö 1-g
= ç1 + Ma12 ÷ Þ p01 = 57.4 psia (6)
p01 è 2 ø
g 1
æp ö é ( g + 1) Ma12 ù g -1 é g +1 ù g -1
p02 = p01 ç 02 ÷ = p01 ê ú ê ú Þ p02 = 29.1 psia (7)
êë 2 + (g - 1) Ma1 úû êë 2g Ma1 - (g - 1) úû
2 2
è p01 ø
p01
p02
T
T02 = T01 p2
T2 isentropic deceleration to probe inlet
T1 non-isentropic deceleration across shock
p1
s
Page 2 of 2