Application of the WKB Method to the High Subsonic Flow of a Compressible Fluid past Wedge Profiles

Abstract

An attempt is made to obtain, by the use of the simplified WKB method, the drag of wedge profiles with various apex angles at various subsonic speeds of the undisturbed flow. To do this, two types of dead-air model are considered: the flow past two flat plates with a dead air between them (Riabouchinsky’s flow) and the flow restricted by two infinite parallel walls containing an infinite dead air. Numerical calculation is performed for comparatively high subsonic flow of air. The results show that the simplified WKB method yields fairly good approximation even for the flow containing sonic speeds.