Shock-induced leading-edge separation in hypersonic flows

Abstract

We investigate the leading-edge separation, also called negligible boundary-layer thickness separation, induced by an impinging shock on a sharp flat plate. The canonical impinging shock wave/boundary-layer interaction configuration consisting of a wedge and a plate wall, placed in hypersonic free stream, is used for the investigations. We first construct a theoretical model for the leading-edge separated flow field (LESF) which predicts separation bubble geometry and surface pressure distribution as a function of three parameters: free-stream Mach number, wedge angle and the reattached flow turning angle. Markedly different predictions of the separated flow field are obtained for an oblique and a near normal reattachment on the plate surface. Experiments in a shock tunnel at a nominal Mach 6 flow, with an impinging shock generated by a wedge of angle 26.6∘, are used to validate the model. Schlieren flow visualization using a high-speed camera and surface pressure measurements using fast response piezoelectric sensors are the diagnostics employed. For a range of shock impingement locations, the LESFs are observed to be geometrically similar and in good agreement with the LESF model. When the impingement location gets closer to the leading edge, it is observed from experiments that the flow field is no longer geometrically similar, and the separation angle increases as the impingement gets closer to the leading edge beyond the range of similarity. The work thereby offers an elaborate description of the leading-edge separated flow when shock impingement occurs near the plate leading edge.