Radiation investigation behind 4.7 km/s shock waves with nitrogen using a square section shock tube

The thermochemical non-equilibrium phenomena encountered by hypersonic vehicles present significant challenges in their design. To investigate the thermochemical reaction flow behind shock waves, the non-equilibrium radiation in the visible range using a shock tube was studied. Experiments were conducted with a shock velocity of 4.7 km/s, using nitrogen at a pressure of 20 Pa. To address measurement difficulties associated with weak radiation, a special square section shock tube with a side length of 380 mm was utilized. A high-speed camera characterized the shock wave’s morphology, and a spectrograph and a monochromator captured the radiation. The spectra were analyzed, and the numerical spectra were compared with experimental results, showing a close match. Temperature changes behind the shock wave were obtained and compared with numerical predictions. The findings indicate that the vibrational temperatures are overestimated, while the vibrational relaxation time is likely underestimated, due to the oversimplified portrayals of the non-equilibrium relaxation process in the models. Additionally, both experimental and simulated time-resolved profiles of radiation intensity at specific wavelengths were analyzed. The gathered data aims to enhance computational fluid dynamics codes and radiation models, improving their predictive accuracy.