Shock tube gas velocities have been monitored accurately by means of a transverse‐field induction flowmeter. Experiments were performed in a hydrogen‐driven shock tube using argon as the test gas; shock Mach numbers were varied from 6 to 12, initial pressures from 0.5 mm Hg to 50 mm Hg, and magnetic field strengths from 0 to 1100 G. The flowmeter was calibrated by comparing measured induced voltages to theoretical values of induced voltage based on measured shock velocities. Three electrode configurations were tried and yielded similar results. Satisfactory results (less than 10% deviation from theoretical values) were obtained for initial pressures between 0.5 mm Hg and approximately 30 mm Hg. This range includes, for a given drive burst pressure, the low pressure limitation of the shock tube, i.e., extremely short test times, and the high pressure limitation, i.e., the increased flowmeter internal impedance resulting from low shock Mach numbers. Pressure losses due to magnetic drag in the end regions of the flowmeter were found to be negligible.

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