Hypersonic and supersonic aerodynamic wind tunnels are composed of several components, each designed to accelerate the flow from an initial quiescent state to the desired conditions in the test section. Two of the most common methods to achieve very high velocity and enthalpy conditions involve either the use of an initial detonation or a high-pressure reservoir acting on a free-moving piston, both of which enable the operation of the facility. In general, a hypersonic tunnel consists of three main components. The first is the compression stage, which serves to pressurize the flow. The second component is a shock tube, where the high-pressure flow from the compression stage interacts with a low-pressure region, generating a shock wave that travels along the tube.