Correlated Compressible and Incompressible Channel Flows

Abstract

Compressible flow in channels of slowly varying cross section at moderately high Reynolds numbers is treated in the paper by employing some Stewartson-type transformations that convert the problem into an incompressible one. Both adiabatic flow and isothermal flow are considered, and a Poiseuille-type incompressible solution is mapped onto compressible plane in order to generate some exact solutions of the compressible governing equations. The results show striking effects that viscosity may have upon the flow characteristics in this case, in comparison with more conventional high Reynolds number flows.