Introduction to Simple Shock Waves in Air

This book provides an elementary introduction to one-dimensional fluid flow problems involving shock waves in air. The differential equations of fluid flow are approximated by finite difference equations and these in turn are numerically integrated in a stepwise manner, with artificial viscosity introduced into the numerical calculations in order to deal with shocks. This treatment of the subject is focused on the finite-difference approach to solve the coupled differential equations of fluid flow and presents the results arising from the numerical solution using Mathcad programming. Both plane and spherical shock waves are discussed with particular emphasis on very strong explosive shocks in air. This expanded third edition features two new chapters: one presenting a perturbation approach for dealing with shocks of finite strength while the other is concerned with the variation of the shock wave pressure and shock wave energy with radial distance at the shock front. It also features new exercises to enhance learners' understanding of the material and a solutions manual. This book appeals to students, researchers, and professionals in shock wave research and related fields. Students in particular appreciate the benefits of numerical methods in fluid mechanics and the level of presentation.