Three-dimensional shock wave and turbulent boundary layer interactions

An extensive experimental study of three-dimensional shock wave turbulent boundary layer interactions caused by shock generators defined solely by angles has been carried out at Mach 3. Sharp fins, sharp swept fins, swept wedges, and semi-cones have been used to generate a wide range of shock waves. The interaction of these waves with turbulent boundary layers has been investigated by surface flow visualization, mean surface static pressure distributions, flowfield surveys of total pressure and yaw, and several flowfield visualization techniques. Some exploratory high frequency surface pressure measurements have been carried out to evaluate the steadiness of these interactions. Scaling laws for both surface and flowfield features have been derived. Some limited studies were carried out at a Mach number of 2. A flowfield study has shown that the initial part of interactions caused by the same strength and geometrical shock wave generated by different shock generators are all similar. The footprints of the interactions, as shown by surface flow visualization, can be categorized as approximately conical or cylindrical, and the boundaries between these two regions have been defined for both Mach 3 and Mach 2. There are still questions with regards to the detailed flowfield structures and physical mechanisms, but the three-dimensional interactions appeared to be less unsteady than that of two-dimensional separated flows.