Reattaching Flow Visualization by Means of Glow Spark in Hypersonic Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interaction

Abstract

:The purpose of this study was to examine the structure of reattaching boundary layers downstream of a quasi-two-dimensional compression corner in a gun tunnel at Mach number 10 using a glow spark technique. An analytical model predicted well a location of a high aerodynamic heating region in laminar reattaching boundary layers. An indication of presence of Görtler vortices was found; the vortices may play an important role in the transition. Furthermore, the flow was unsteady and accompanied by a shock wave rippling. The rippling was probably not caused by the vortices, since characteristic length scales of the two phenomena were completely different. A slip line generated due to shock/shock interaction had little effect on the transition, because it was apart from the boundary layer.