High-Efficiency Supersonic Diffusers
E. P. NEUMANN! AND F. LUSTWERKt
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
ABSTRACT
Supersonic diffusers having a variable throat were designed
with wind-tunnel application in mind. The test results indicate
that a stagnation pressure recovery of 79 per cent at M = 2.22
and 53 per cent at M = 2.92 can be obtained without boundary-
layer suction. These values can result in an operating power
reduction of 60 per cent over conventional design at M = 2.22.
The effect of scale on diffuser performance is discussed. De-
sign parameters for a diffuser design are given.
NOMENCLATURE
a = cross-sectional area, sq.ft.
D = diameter of test section
De — equivalent diameter; 4 (cross-sectional area) -r- perim-
eter
g = acceleration given to a unit mass by unit force, ft. per sec.
absolute
k = ratio of specific heats, for air k = 1.40
L = length of test section
M = Mach Number = V/VgkRT
p = pressure, lbs. per sq.in. absolute
R = gas constant (1,545 f t . / l b . / ° F . lb. mole divided by
molecular weight)
T — temperature, °F. absolute
V = mean velocity of fluid stream at given cross section, ft.
per sec.
/3 = oblique shock angle
$ = wedge angle
rj = diffuser efficiency, work of isentropic and adiabatic
compression between initial condition and final pres-
sure divided by kinetic energy expended [see Eq.
(4)]
Subscripts
a refers to state of fluid stream after first oblique shock (see
Fig. 7)
b refers to state of fluid stream after second oblique shock (see
Fig. 7)
c refers to minimum cross section of diffuser
t refers to cross section at minimum area of accelerating
nozzle
0 refers to stagnation state of fluid stream at entrance of
accelerating nozzle
1 refers to state of fluid stream at the diffuser entrance
2 refers to state of fluid stream downstream of "transverse"
shock where stream is subsonic
3 refers to state of fluid stream after diffuser where the ve-
locity is approximately zero
Received September 1, 1950.
* This work was carried out as part of the Guided Missiles
Program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and was
sponsored by the Navy Department, Bureau of Ordnance.
Figs. 2, 10, and 11 were obtained from Krenkel. 2
f Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Gas Turbine
Laboratory.
% Research Associate, Department of Mechanical Engineering,
Gas Turbine Laboratory.
369
INTRODUCTION
T H E E F F I C I E N T DECELERATION of a supersonic
stream in the presence of b o u n d a r y layer is an im-
p o r t a n t problem in the design of wind tunnels, com-
air
pressors, intakes to high-speed aircraft, and other similar
devices. For this reason an investigation of this prob-
lem was undertaken a t t h e Gas T u r b i n e L a b o r a t o r y at
M . I . T . several years ago. T h e first results of this work
were reported by the a u t h o r s 1 in a paper t h a t discussed
efficiency and operating characteristics for diffusers of
fixed geometry. These diffusers were not designed to
take advantage of the theoretical gain t h a t might be
obtained b y decreasing t h e t h r o a t area of the diffuser
after the shock h a d passed through. I n the present
paper, the earlier work is extended for the case where
the diffuser walls are m a d e adjustable to permit reduc-
tion of the t h r o a t area after s t a r t i n g — t h a t is, after the
shock has passed through the diffuser throat.
In Meteor R e p o r t No. 13, x separation of the stream
from the passage wall was observed to accompany a
" n o r m a l " shock. However, the change in state across
the separated region was approximately the same
as t h a t predicted b y a simple one-dimensional
analysis, provided the separated region was contained
in a constant-area passage. T h e analysis assumed
t h a t wall forces in the direction of flow within the con-
stant-area passage were negligible. T h a t this assump-
tion agrees adequately with reality was confirmed. T h e
optimum length of this constant-area passage was de-
termined experimentally to be 8 to 12 equivalent
diameters for a range of M a c h N u m b e r s from 1.8 to
4.2. T h e results of Meteor R e p o r t No. 13 are included
with t h e new results in order to facilitate comparison.
The work reported in the present paper on variable-
geometry diffusers started with the simple concept t h a t
the shock and a t t e n d a n t separation could be adequately
handled from a pressure recovery standpoint a n d t h a t a
subsonic diffuser of high efficiency could be employed
EJECTOR
" i i i i l l i i i i i i i i l l i i TTTTTTTTT
MANOMETER
il
BOARD
AIR 1_r ^y3g3_ig&-
COMPRESSOR
FIG. 1. Arrangement of test apparatus.