On the possible formation of a vortex flow in a supersonic inlet with three-dimensional compression

Abstract

The structure of the flow in an inlet with three-dimensional compression and an adjoining channel of rectangular cross-section is experimentally investigated for the external flow parameters M ∞ = 4 and Re ≈ 52 · 10 6 1/m. The phenomenon of vortex generation in the air-intake and its breakdown at the channel entry, where it encounters an elevated pressure gradient, is studied