Experimental and Computational Analysis of Shock Structure in a Supersonic Contoured Nozzle

Abstract

Flow separation in a supersonic contoured nozzle whilst operating under over expanded regime is an inevitable fluid dynamic phenomenon. The flow field comprise formation of complex shock structures and its interaction with the viscous boundary layer. Profound number of researches on various types of contoured nozzle profiles have been undertaken to better understand the said phenomenon. The present study is focused on further understanding the fundamentals associated with formation of shocks and its structural transformation under varying NPR for a defined area ratio. Flow visualization utilizing Schlieren photography has enabled to capture the details of shock and its structure along with other phenomenon viz boundary layer separation, shock boundary layer interaction, aftershocks etc. The locations of shock captured experimentally have also been ascertained with computational generated data for various NPR and the results have been found quite comparable.