Collected Works of H. S. Tsien (1938-1956)

Two-Dimensional Subsonic Flow of Compressible Fluids

Hsue-shen Tsien

(California Institute of Technology)

Summary

The basic concept of the present paper is to use a tangent line to the adiabatic pressure-volume curve as an approximation to the curve itself. First, the general characteristics of such a fluid are shown. Then in Section I a theory is developed which can be applied to flows with velocities approaching that of sound) whereas the theory of Demtchenko and Busemann only give an approximation for flows with velocities smaller than one-half of the sound velocity. This is done by a generalization of the method of approximation to the adiabatic relation by a tangent line, conceived jointly by Th. von Kármán and the author. The theory is ...