Stability of Hypersonic Boundary Layers over a Compression Corner

• Published in: AIAA journal 2005-04, Vol.43 (4), p.760-767
• Main Authors: Balakumar, P, Zhao, Hongwu, Atkins, Harold
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerodynamics; Boundary layer; Compressible flows; shock and detonation phenomena; Exact sciences and technology; Fluid dynamics; Fundamental areas of phenomenology (including applications); Physics; Shock-wave interactions and shock effects; Shock-wave interactions and shockeffects; Simulation; Transition to turbulence; Turbulent flows, convection, and heat transfer
• ISSN: 0001-1452; 1533-385X
• DOI: 10.2514/1.3479

The stability of hypersonic boundary layers over a compression corner is investigated numerically. To compute the shock and the interaction of the shock with the instability waves, the simulation solves the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equations using a high-order, weighted, essentially nonoscillatory shock-capturing scheme. After computing the mean flowfield, the procedure then superimposes two-dimensional unsteady disturbances at the inflow and computes the evolution of these disturbances in downstream direction. Because of the interaction of the shock with the boundary layer, a separation bubble forms at the corner, and two compression waves form near the separation and reattachment points. These compression waves merge farther away from the boundary layer to form a shock. The investigation of the evolution of the second mode shows three distinct regions. One is upstream of the separation bubble where the disturbances grow in agreement with the linear theory of similarity boundary layers. The second region is the separation bubble region where the disturbances remain neutral. These disturbances reside above the separation bubble and do not penetrate the separated region. The third region is downstream of the separation bubble where the disturbances again grow exponentially as in boundary layers.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]