Fundamentals of Shock Waves and Expansion Fans

Compressible flow is essential for understanding modern high-speed aerospace design, yet the physics of shock waves can seem daunting. This course demystifies the fundamental concepts governing flow at Mach speeds. By the end of this course, you will possess a strong theoretical and practical understanding of how shock waves and expansion fans form, behave, and influence aerodynamic performance, preparing you for advanced studies or practical engineering work. What you'll learn: * Understand the fundamental equations governing compressible flow, including the concept of Mach number and the speed of sound. * Analyze the behavior of normal and oblique shock waves using Rankine-Hugoniot relations and shock polars. * Apply the Prandtl-Meyer function to calculate flow turning angles across expansion fans. * Design and evaluate supersonic nozzles and diffusers based on shock wave and expansion fan interactions. * Practice foundational concepts related to computational methods for handling shock discontinuities in numerical simulations. We begin with the thermodynamics of high-speed flow and rapidly move into analyzing normal and oblique shock structures. The course concludes by integrating these concepts to study practical aerodynamic components and introducing modern computational considerations. This foundational course is designed for absolute beginners in aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, or physics who have no prior experience with compressible flow. No advanced prerequisites are required. Start your journey into the world of supersonic aerodynamics today.