Supersonic diffuser
AssigneeThe United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force
InventorJames S. Petty
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A supersonic diffuser for use with a gas dynamic laser having a multichannel shock duct diffuser with outer duct walls and inner duct walls forming an inner duct channel and two outer duct channels. A retractable wall is provided in each of the outer duct channels for closing off the outer ducts after diffuser start up wherein the gas wedges forward of the retractable walls together with the inner duct channel provide diffuser operation essentially the same as a conventional multiple shock diffuser. Retractable stabilizer wedges are positioned slightly forward of the normal separation points.
Claims5
A variable geometry supersonic diffuser comprising:
- a multichannel shock duct diffuser having a rectangular shaped flow channel with inner walls forming two outer flow channels and a central flow channel;
- means for supplying a supersonic flow to said channel upstream of said inner walls;
- adjustable means adapted to close said two outer flow channels for causing a stable boundary layer flow separation from the wall of the rectangular shaped flow channel and a flow through said central channel;
- means for fixing the boundary layer separation point of the flow in said rectangular channel and means for stabilizing the flow reattachment to said inner walls.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.