Design of the Dense Gas Flexible Asymmetric Shock Tube

This paper presents the conceptual design of the flexible asymmetric shock tube (FAST) setup for the experimental verification of the existence of nonclassical rarefaction shock waves in molecularly complex dense vapors. The FAST setup is a Ludwieg tube facility composed of a charge tube that is separated from the discharge vessel by a fast-opening valve. A nozzle is interposed between the valve and the charge tube to prevent disturbances from the discharge vessel to propagate into the tube. The speed of the rarefaction wave generated in the tube as the valve opens is measured by means of high-resolution pressure transducers. The provisional working fluid is siloxane D6 (dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane, C12H36O6Si6). Numerical simulations of the FAST experiment are presented using nonideal thermodynamic models to support the preliminary design. The uncertainties related to the thermodynamic model of the fluid are assessed using a state-of-the-art thermodynamic model of fluid D6. The preliminary design is confirmed to be feasible and construction requirements are found to be well within technological limits.