Hypersonic boundary-layer transition on a flared cone

Transition on a flared cone with zero angle of attack was studied in our newly established Mach 6 quiet wind tunnel (M6QT) via wall pressure measurement and flow visualization. High-frequency pressure transducers were used to measure the second-mode waves’ amplitudes and frequencies. Using pulsed schlieren diagnostic and Rayleigh scattering technique, we got a clear evolution of the second-mode disturbances. The second-mode waves exist for a long distance, which means that the second-mode waves grow linearly in a large region. Strong Mach waves are radiated from the edge of the boundary layer. With further development, the second-mode waves reach their maximum magnitude and harmonics of the second-mode instability appear. Then the disturbances grow nonlinearly. The second modes become weak and merge with each other. Finally, the nonlinear interaction of disturbance leads to a relatively quiet zone, which further breaks down, resulting in the transition of the boundary layer. Our results show that transition is determined by the second mode. The quiet zone before the final breakdown is observed in flow visualization for the first time. Eventual transition requires the presence of a quiet zone generated by nonlinear interactions.     

Control of disturbances of a hypersonic viscous shock layer on a flat plate

Receptivity of a viscous shock layer on a flat plate aligned at an angle of attack to external multiwave acoustic perturbations is studied. It is shown that external acoustic waves and periodic controlled perturbations introduced from the surface of the plate mounted at an angle of attack smaller than 20° generate entropy-vortex disturbances with a similar spatial distribution in the viscous shock layer. This result allows numerical implementation of the interference method of controlling disturbances generated in the viscous shock layer on the plate by external acoustic waves at one frequency and at a spectrum of frequencies by introducing blowing-suction perturbations on the plate surface with appropriate amplitudes and phases.     

Mechanism of transition in a hypersonic sharp cone boundary layer with zero angle of attack

Firstly, the steady laminar flow field of a hypersonic sharp cone boundary layer with zero angle of attack was computed.Then,two groups of finite amplitude T-S wave disturbances were introduced at the entrance of the computational field,and the spatial mode transition process was studied by direct numerical simulation (DNS) method. The mechanism of the transition process was analyzed.It was found that the change of the stability characteristics of the mean flow profile was the key issue.Furthermore,the characteristics of evolution for the disturbances of different modes in the hypersonic sharp cone boundary layer were discussed.     

An experimental study on boundary layer transition detection over a pitching supercritical airfoil using hot-film sensors

In the present work, experimental tests are conducted to study boundary layer transition over a supercritical airfoil undergoing pitch oscillations using hot-film sensors. Tests have been undertaken at an incompressible flow. Three reduced frequencies of oscillations and two mean angles of attack are studied and the influences of those parameters on transition location are discussed. Different algorithms are examined on the hot-film signals to detect the transition point. Results show the formation of a laminar separation bubble near the leading edge and at relatively higher angles of attack which leads to the transition of the boundary layer. However, at lower angles of attack, the amplification of the peaks in voltage signal indicate the emergence of the vortical structures within the boundary layer, introducing a different transition mechanism. Moreover, an increase in reduced frequency leads to a delay in transition onset, postponing it to a higher angle of attack, which widens the hysteresis between the upstroke and downstroke motions. Rising the reduced frequency yields in weakening or omission of vortical disturbances ensuing the removal of spikes in the signals. Of the other important results observed, is faster movement of the relaminarization point in the higher mean angle of attack. Finally, a time–frequency analysis of the hot-film signals is performed to investigate evolution of spectral features of the transition due to the pitching motion. An asymmetry is clearly observed in frequency pattern of the signals far from the bubble zone towards the trailing edge; this may reflect the difference between the transition and relaminarization physics. Also, various ranges of frequency were obtained for different transition mechanisms.     

Stability analysis and transition prediction of hypersonic boundary layer over a blunt cone with small nose bluntness at zero angle of attack

Stability and transition prediction of hypersonic boundary layer on a blunt cone with small nose bluntness at zero angle of attack was investigated. The nose radius of the cone is 0.5 mm; the cone half-angle is 5°, and the Mach number of the oncoming flow is 6. The base flow of the blunt cone was obtained by direct numerical simulation. The linear stability theory was applied for the analysis of the first mode and the second mode unstable waves under both isothermal and adiabatic wall condition, and eN method was used for the prediction of transition location. The N factor was tentatively taken as 10, as no experimentally confirmed value was available. It is found that the wall temperature condition has a great effect on the transition location. For adiabatic wall, transition would take place more rearward than those for isothermal wall. And despite that for high Mach number flows, the maximum amplification rate of the second mode wave is far bigger than the maximum amplification rate of the first mode wave, the transition location of the boundary layer with adiabatic wall is controlled by the growth of first mode unstable waves. The methods employed in this paper are expected to be also applicable to the transition prediction for the three dimensional boundary layers on cones with angle of attack.     

Three-dimensional boundary-layer transition on a cone at Mach 3.5

A boundary-layer transition study on a sharp, 5° half-angle cone at various angles of attack was conducted at Mach 3.5. Transition data were obtained with and without significantly reduced freestream acoustic disturbance levels. A progressive downstream and upstream motion of the transition front on the windward and leeward rays, respectively, of the cone with angle of attack was observed for the high noise level data in agreement with data trends obtained in conventional (noisy) wind tunnels. However, the downstream movement was not observed to the same degree for the low noise level data in the present study. Transition believed to be crossflow dominated was found to be less receptive to freestream acoustic disturbances than first-mode (Tollmien-Schlichting) dominated transition. The previously-developed crossflow transition Reynolds number criterion, _tr,max 200, was found to be inadequate for the current case. An improved criterion is offered, which includes compressibility and flow-geometry effects.     

Effect of Large Scale 3-D Structures on the Flow Around a Heated Cylinder at Low Reynolds Number

This work presents results of flow around a heated circular cylinder in mixed convection regime and demonstrates that Prandtl number and angle of attack of the incoming flow have a large influence on the characterisation of the flow transition from 2-D to 3-D. Previous studies show that heat transfer can enhance the formation of large 3-D structures in the wake of the cylinder for Reynolds numbers between 75 and 127 and a Richardson number larger than 0.35. This transitional mode is generally identified as “mode E”. In this work, we compare the results for water-based flow (large Prandtl number) with the ones for air-based flows (low Prandtl number). The comparison is carried out at two Reynolds numbers (100 and 150) and at a fixed Richardson number of 1. It shows that at the low Reynolds number of 100 the low Prandtl number flow does not enter into transition. This is caused by the impairment of the baroclinic vorticity production provoked by the spanwise temperature gradient. At low Prandtl number temperature gradients are less steep. For an air-based flow at Reynolds number 150, several Richardson numbers have been simulated. In this situation, the flow enters into transition and exhibits the characteristics of “mode E”, with the development of Λ-shaped structures in the near wake and mushroom-like structures in the far wake. It is also observed that the transition is delayed at Richardson number of 0.5. Simulations are also carried to investigate the effect of the angle of attack on the incoming flow on the development of large coherent structures. When the angle of attack is positive, the development of the wake tends to return to a more bi-dimensional configuration, where large scale coherent structures are impaired. In contrast, when the angle of attack is negative, large scale tri-dimensional structures dominate the flow in the wake, but with a very chaotic behaviour and the regular pattern of zero angle of attack is destroyed. The different behaviour of the flow with the variation of the angle of attack is also related to the baroclinic vorticity production, where new terms appear in the equations, leading to a positive effect of the vorticity production in case of a negative angle of attack and the opposite for a positive angle of attack.     

Experimental study of compressible boundary layer on a cone at angles of attack

Experimental study was conducted for boundarylayers on a sharp 5° half-angle cone of 400mm length at angles of attack. The model was tested in the T-326 hypersonic wind tunnel （ITAM） at freestream Mach number M = 5.95. Mean and fluctuation wall characteristics of the boundary layer are measured at 0°, 2°, 3° and 4° angles of attack for different stagnation pressures. Pulsation measurements are carried out by means of ALTP sensor. Pressure and temperature distributions along the model are obtained, and transition beginning and end locations have been found. Boundary layer stabilization with the increase of angle of attack and the decrease of stagnation pressure is observed. High frequency pulsations inherent to hypersonic boundary layer （second mode） have been detected.     

Shock tunnel study of spiked aerodynamic bodies flying at hypersonic Mach numbers

A three-component accelerometer balance system is used to study the drag reduction effect of an aerodisc on large angle blunt cones flying at hypersonic Mach numbers. Measurements in a hypersonic shock tunnel at a freestream Mach number of 5.75 indicate more than 50% reduction in the drag coefficient for a 120° apex angle blunt cone with a forward facing aerospike having a flat faced aerodisc at moderate angles of attack. Enhancement of drag has been observed for higher angles of attack due to the impingement of the flow separation shock on the windward side of the cone. The flowfields around the large angle blunt cone with aerospike assembly flying at hypersonic Mach numbers are also simulated numerically using a commercial CFD code. The pressure and density levels on the model surface, which is under the aerodynamic shadow of the flat disc tipped spike, are found very low and a drag reduction of 64.34% has been deduced numerically.     

Investigation of the supersonic flow around a pointed elliptical cone at an angle of attack

The picture of ideal gas flow around cones at zero and low angles of attack has been well studied by using approximate methods [1], and results for high angles of attack have been obtained mainly numerically [2–7]. At high angles of attack it is sensible to examine inviscid flow only up to some generator on the downwind side of the cone at which boundary-layer separation occurs. Hence, the domain where the flow can be considered inviscid yields the main contribution to the magnitude of the aerodynamic forces and the heat fluxes [5, 9]. A picture of the supersonic flow around a pointed elliptical cone is obtained in this paper by the numerical solution of the gasdynamics equations. The whole flow domain is computed at low angles of attack while the solution at high angles is obtained in a domain bounded by some surface of three-dimensional type [10]. The dependence of the flow parameters on the angle of attack is studied when the shock is attached to the cone apex. In contrast to a circular cone, at low angles of attack two spreading lines occur on the surface of an elliptical cone, to which the maximum pressure corresponds. As the angle of attack increases, these lines come together and merge at a certain time. At high angles of attack the flow picture is analogous to a circular cone with a pressure maximum in the plane of symmetry.     

进口预旋对离心叶轮气动性能影响机理的研究

将理论推导和数值模拟相结合,对典型离心压缩机Eckardt叶轮流场进行分析,探讨了不同进气预旋对叶轮气动性能的影响;从叶片进口攻角、叶尖相对马赫数和流向压力变化的角度,阐述了预旋对内部流动以及气动性能的影响机理.结果表明:预旋角对进口攻角和叶尖相对马赫数同时产生显著影响,正预旋会降低进口来流的攻角及相对马赫数,使叶片前...     

Linear stability analysis of supersonic axisymmetric jets

Stabilities of supersonic jets are examined with different velocities, momentum thicknesses, and core temperatures. Amplification rates of instability waves at inlet are evaluated by linear stability theory (LST). It is found that increased velocity and core temperature would increase amplification rates substantially and such influence varies for different azimuthal wavenumbers. The most unstable modes in thin momentum thickness cases usually have higher frequencies and azimuthal wavenumbers. Mode switching is observed for low azimuthal wavenumbers, but it appears merely in high velocity cases. In addition, the results provided by linear parabolized stability equations show that the mean-flow divergence affects the spatial evolution of instability waves greatly. The most amplified instability waves globally are sometimes found to be different from that given by LST.     

Transition control of Mach 6.5 hypersonic flat plate boundary layer

An artificial disturbance is introduced into the boundary layer over a flat plate to investigate the effect on the transition process in the Mach 6.5 wind tunnel at Peking University. A linear stability theory(LST) is utilized to predict the evolution of the eigenmodes, and the frequency of the artificial disturbance is chosen according to the LST results. The artificial disturbance is generated by glowing discharge on the surface of the plate close to the leading edge. The Rayleigh-scattering visualization and particle image velocimetry(PIV) measurements are performed. By comparing the experimental results with artificial disturbances with those under the natural condition(without artificial disturbances), the present paper shows that the second-mode instability waves are significantly stimulated by the artificial disturbances, and the boundary layer transition is effectively triggered.     

Direct numerical simulation of disturbances generated by periodic suction-blowing in a hypersonic boundary layer

A numerical algorithm and code are developed and applied to direct numerical simulation (DNS) of unsteady two-dimensional flow fields relevant to stability of the hypersonic boundary layer. An implicit second-order finite-volume technique is used for solving the compressible Navier–Stokes equations. Numerical simulation of disturbances generated by a periodic suction-blowing on a flat plate is performed at free-stream Mach number 6. For small forcing amplitudes, the second-mode growth rates predicted by DNS agree well with the growth rates resulted from the linear stability theory (LST) including nonparallel effects. This shows that numerical method allows for simulation of unstable processes despite its dissipative features. Calculations at large forcing amplitudes illustrate nonlinear dynamics of the disturbance flow field. DNS predicts a nonlinear saturation of fundamental harmonic and rapid growth of higher harmonics. These results are consistent with the experimental data of Stetson and Kimmel obtained on a sharp cone at the free-stream Mach number 8.     

Experimental study of the effect of a passive porous coating on disturbances in a hypersonic boundary layer. 1. Effect of the porous coating length

The effect of passive porous coatings of different lengths on the second mode of disturbances in a hypersonic boundary layer is considered. The experiments are performed in a flow with a free-stream Mach number M_∞ = 5.8 and five values of the unit Reynolds number around a sharp cone with an apex half-angle equal to 7°, which is aligned at a zero angle of attack. One half of the model surface along its generatrix is covered by a porous material, and the other part is a solid surface. Pressure fluctuations on the model surface are measured. It is found that application of a passive porous coating can either decrease or increase the amplitude of the second mode. The length of the passive porous coating corresponding to the maximum efficiency of its action on flow disturbances and the coating length that increases the amplitude of the second mode are found.     

Development of Natural Disturbances in a Hypersonic Boundary Layer on a Sharp Cone

Experimental data on the location of the laminar—turbulent transition and development of natural disturbances in a laminar hypersonic boundary layer on a sharp thermally insulated cone with a half–angle of 7° are presented. The existence of the second mode of disturbances is confirmed. It is shown that the transition is determined by the first mode of disturbances. The experimental data are in good agreement with theoretical calculations.     

Prediction of asymmetric vortical flows around slender bodies using Navier-Stokes equations

Steady and unsteady asymmetric vortical flows around slender bodies at high angles of attack are solved using the unsteady, compressible, this-layer Navier-Stokes equations. An implicit, upwind-biased, flux-difference splitting, finite-volume scheme is used for the numerical computations. For supersonic flows past point cones, the locally conical flow assumption has been used for efficient computational studies of this phenomenon. Asymmetric flows past a 5° semiapex-angle circular cone at different angles of attack, free-stream Mach numbers, and Reynolds numbers has been studied in responses to different sources of disturbances. The effects of grid fineness and computational domain size have also been investigated. Next, the responses of three-dimensional supersonic asymmetric flow around a 5° circular cone at different angles of attack and Reynolds numbers to short-duration sideslip disturbances are presented. The results show that flow asymmetry becomes stronger as the Reynolds number and angles of attack are increased. The asymmetric solutions show spatial vortex shedding which is qualitatively similar to the temporal vortex shedding of the unsteady locally conical flow. A cylindrical afterbody is also added to the same cone to study the effect of a cylindrical part on the flow asymmetry. One of the cases of flow over a cone-cylinder configuration is validated fairly well by experimental data.     

Influence of pitching angle of incidence on the dynamic stall behavior of a symmetric airfoil

This study presents the influence of pitch angle of an airfoil on its near-field vortex structure as well as the aerodynamic loads during a dynamic stall process. Dynamic stall behavior in a sinusoidally pitching airfoil is usually analyzed at low to medium reduced frequencies and with the maximum angle of attack of the airfoil not exceeding 25°. In this work, we study dynamic stall of a symmetric airfoil at medium to high reduced frequencies even as the maximum angle of attack goes from 25° to 45°. The evolution and growth of the laminar separation bubble, also known as a dynamic stall vortex, at the leading edge and the trailing edge are studied as the pitch cycle goes from the minimum to the maximum angle of attack. The effect of reduced frequencies on the vortex structure as well as the aerodynamic load coefficients is investigated. The reduced frequency is shown to be a bifurcation parameter triggering period doubling behavior. However, the bifurcation pattern is dependent on the variation of the pitch angle of incidence of the airfoil.     

Influence of the angle of attack on the transition from a laminar to a turbulent boundary layer in the case of supersonic flow past sharp circular cones

Some results are given of an experimental investigation into the influence of the angle of attack on the transition in the symmetry plane of a sharp cone at Mach number M = 6.1. These results and available experimental data are used to establish the dependence of the transition Reynolds number on the angle of attack on the flow division line of sharp circular cones.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Mekhanika Zhidkosti i Gaza, No. 4, pp. 160–163, July–August, 1982.     

Effect of Local DBD Plasma Actuation on Transition in a Laminar Separation Bubble

This work examines the effect of local active flow control on stability and transition in a laminar separation bubble. Experiments are performed in a wind tunnel facility on a NACA 0012 airfoil at a chord Reynolds number of 130 000 and an angle of attack of 2 degrees. Controlled disturbances are introduced upstream of a laminar separation bubble forming on the suction side of the airfoil using a surface-mounted Dielectric Barrier Discharge plasma actuator. Time-resolved two-component Particle Image Velocimetry is used to characterise the flow field. The effect of frequency and amplitude of plasma excitation on flow development is examined. The introduction of artificial harmonic disturbances leads to significant changes in separation bubble topology and the characteristics of coherent structures formed in the aft portion of the bubble. The development of the bubble demonstrates strong dependence on the actuation frequency and amplitude, revealing the dominant role of incoming disturbances in the transition scenario. Statistical, topological and linear stability theory analysis demonstrate that significant mean flow deformation produced by controlled disturbances leads to notable changes in stability characteristics compared to those in the unforced baseline case. The findings provide a new outlook on the role of controlled disturbances in separated shear layer transition and instruct the development of effective flow control strategies.