Area-Mach Number Relation
For an isentropic flow of a perfect gas through a duct, the area-Mach number relation may be expressed, assuming one-dimensional flow, as:
where A* is called the sonic or critical throat area.
2.13.4.2 Prandtl-Meyer Function
The Prandtl-Meyer function v is an important parameter to solve supersonic flow problems involving isentropic expansion or isentropic compression. Basically the Prandtl-Meyer function is a similarity parameter. The Prandtl-Meyer function can be expressed in terms of M as:
From Equation (2.94) it is seen that, for a given M, v is fixed.