Editing Compressible flow (section)

====Prandtl–Meyer expansion fans====
[[File:Prandtl-Meyer Expansion.jpg|thumb|Prandtl–Meyer expansion fan diagram]]
To this point, the only flow phenomena that have been discussed are shock waves, which slow the flow and increase its entropy. It is possible to accelerate supersonic flow in what has been termed a [[Prandtl–Meyer expansion fan]], after Ludwig Prandtl and Theodore Meyer. The mechanism for the expansion is shown in the figure below.

As opposed to the flow encountering an inclined obstruction and forming an oblique shock, the flow expands around a convex corner and forms an expansion fan through a series of isentropic Mach waves. The expansion "fan" is composed of Mach waves that span from the initial Mach angle to the final Mach angle. Flow can expand around either a sharp or rounded corner equally, as the increase in Mach number is proportional to only the convex angle of the passage (δ). The expansion corner that produces the Prandtl–Meyer fan can be sharp (as illustrated in the figure) or rounded. If the total turning angle is the same, then the P-M flow solution is also the same.

The Prandtl–Meyer expansion can be seen as the physical explanation of the operation of the Laval nozzle. The contour of the nozzle creates a smooth and continuous series of Prandtl–Meyer expansion waves.