The use of a Sanderson prism is an inexpensive way in which to undertake shearing interferometric studies. It consists of a thin plate of polycarbonate material which exhibits birefringent properties when stressed. It is placed in a rig under conditions of pure bending, and is positioned in a conventional schlieren visualization set up. This results in a series of coloured fringes in the image plane. If a flow of variable density is placed in the test section the light is deflected from one fringe to another. Images can be generated in both infinite and finite fringe modes. The current study examines the flow field generated by the deflection and rupture of thin elastic sheets attached to the exit of a shock tube, as a pressure relief device. This is similar to the use of a burst disk conventionally used as a safety device to prevent excessive pressure buildup in a vessel such as impact of a shock wave. The use of an elastic membrane rather than a metal plate is to establish the potential to reduce the magnitude of reflected waves back into the system. This paper concentrates on the complex external transient flow, in terms of the shock wave exiting profiles and flow evolution, the stretching and rupture of the membrane, and the final flow following rupture.
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