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Shock Tube 1

2024

Abstract

Shock tubes provide a more affordable method of producing and studying shock waves than supersonic wind tunnels. A shock wave is a phenomenon which occurs when a wave passes through a fluid faster than the speed of sound in that fluid. This project explored the design, manufacturing, and testing of a shock tube that can be used in an undergraduate lab environment at the University of South Carolina. This system should be able to record important shock wave parameters such as pressures, temperatures, and wave speed. Creating and visualizing this phenomenon can be helpful in helping students understand it better. This shock tube is designed based on requirements and constraints following the needs of the aerospace engineering program. The technical aspects of the design process involved various considerations including computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, Finite Element Analysis, structural design, and more.

Meet The Team

Ashley Poyner

Goose Creek, SC

I am an Aerospace engineering student, wife, dog mom, and intern engineer at Boeing. My goal is to be a lifelong learner and glean as much information as I can from others around me.

Dylan Homiak

Powder Springs, GA

I am a graduating aerospace major at UofSC. I lead a research team doing research on composite manufacturing and defect testing, and I plan to continue my education by getting a master's degree and hope to continue working in that field.

"Working on the shock tube design has given me more insight on what it's like to work on a team for a long-term project; I feel more prepared to enter the workforce and more familiar with hands-on application of what I've learned."

Dario Handrick

Worms, Germany

I am a senior in Aerospace Engineering at the University of South Carolina. I plan to go to graduate school to pursue a PhD in Mechanical Engineering while doing Aerospace related research. My interests lie mainly in the space industry, which I aim to work in someday.
"This project was a great culmination of my undergraduate education Aerospace Engineering. I learned to trust in the skills and knowledge of the last 4 years by applying them in an exciting project with my team."

Toma Sucin

Greenville, SC

I am a student, engineer, and aerospace enthusiast. I enjoy problem solving and working with others both inside and outside my professional life. I hope to use the technical knowledge and teamwork skills I have learned to make a meaningful impact on the aerospace industry.

"In working on this project, I learned a lot about teamwork and communication. I also got to apply knowledge from a variety of my undergraduate courses including aerodynamics and solid mechanics."

Project Details

The requirements were to create a safe shock tube which could generate supersonic shockwaves. This had to be under 4m (compact), able to be moved, and include a way to visualize shockwaves and collect data.