Efficient Shock Wave Coupling to a Waveguide

High-voltage induced shock waves were created in different shaped spark chambers. The generated shock waves were imaged after they had traveled through a waveguide. Imaging was done by using a stroboscopic schlieren method to determine the speed of the shock wave in air. The effect of the spark chamber shape as well as the effect of the width of the spark gap were studied. The simple cylindrical chamber had the highest efficiency of the measured geometries. A wider spark gap resulted in a higher overpressure of the shock wave.