The effect of longitudinal viscosity on the flow at a nozzle throat

Abstract

An inviscid transonic theory appears to be inadequate to describe the flow near the throat of a converging–diverging nozzle during the transition from the symmetrical Taylor (1930) type of flow to the subsonic–supersonic Meyer (1908) flow. A viscous transonic equation taking account of heat conduction and longitudinal viscosity has been developed previously (Cole 1949; Sichel 1963; Szaniawski 1963). An exact, nozzle-type of similarity solution of the viscous transonic equation, similar to the inviscid solution of Tomotika & Tamada (1950), has been found. This solution does provide a description of the gradual transition from the Taylor to the Meyer flow and shows the initial stages in the development of a shock wave downstream of the nozzle throat. The solution provides a viscous, shock-like transition from an inviscid, supersonic, accelerating flow to an inviscid, subsonic, decelerating flow.