Attenuation of shock waves propagating over arrayed baffle plates

The paper reports results of shock tube experiments of the attenuation of shock waves propagating over arrayed baffle plates, which is motivated to simulate shock wave attenuation created accidentally at the acoustic delay line in synchrotron radiation factory upon the rupture of a metal membrane separating the acceleration ring at high vacuum and atmospheric test chambers. Experiments were carried out, by using double exposure holographic interferometry with double path arrangement, in a 100 mm x 180 mm shock tube equipped with a test section of 180 mm x 1100 mm view field. Two baffle plate arrangements were tested: Oblique and staggered baffle plates; and vertical symmetric ones. Pressures were measured along the shock tube sidewall at individual compartments for shock Mach numbers ranging from 1.2 to 3.0 in air. The results were compared with a numerical simulation. The rate of shock attenuation over these baffle plates was compared for vertical and oblique baffle plates. Shock wave attenuation is more pronounced in the oblique baffle plate arrangements than in the vertical ones.