Stability of a normal shock in radial reacting flow with nonuniformities

Pressure recovery for a cylindrical chemical laser is optimized when a normal shock is located just outside the optical cavity region. The feasibility of maintaining a shock in such a position when the radial flow is reacting and contains nonuniformities has been demonstrated in a small-scale experiment. Flow visualization and flow diagnostics have verified that the shock is stable and that its position is readily adjusted by changing the downstream pressure. Although actual pressure recovery was not measured, it is expected that 100% of normal shock pressure recovery can be achieved in full-scale laser systems without the need for a supersonic diffuser.