A Generalized Approach to One-Dimensional Gas Dynamics

Abstract

At the present time, those thermodynamic flow processes amenable to simplified treatment are considered separately in the various texts; one finds chapters on isentropic, adiabatic, and diabatic flows, as though they were entirely unrelated. The normal shock process is told as a story in itself. Quite reasonably then, we are led to expect and are not surprised when we find that separate functional tables exist for each of these processes. Also, the need for a satisfactory approach to variable-area flow processes, for other than the isentropic case, has long been noted; and the usual absence of any treatment of isothermal flow is disturbing. These and other shortcomings, we believe, result from a failure to recognize common bonds which exist among the various simplified flow processes.