Revival of water table experiment in fluid mechanics courses, part II

Abstract

In an effort to find a simple and efficient method for observing and predicting compressible flows in an instructional environment, we revisit the classical hydraulic analogy. The focus is made on using a water table apparatus to visualize the formation of oblique surface waves in a flow around a wedge. These waves are analogous to the oblique shock waves seen in a compressible flow. A mathematical derivation of this analogy is presented together with water table experiment data collected by graduate students. The comparison between the predicted values and measured values is made and shows a remarkable correlation between the two for simulated Mach numbers.