Viscous modes within the compressible boundary-layer flow due to a broad rotating cone

Abstract

We investigate the effects of compressibility and wall cooling on the stationary, viscous (Type II) instability mode within the three-dimensional boundary layer over rotating cones with half-angle greater than 40 • . The stationary mode is characterised by zero shear stress at the wall and a triple-deck solution is presented in the isothermal case. Asymptotic solutions are obtained which describe the structure of the wavenumber and the orientation of this mode as a function of local Mach number. It is found that a stationary mode is possible only over a finite range of local Mach number. Our conclusions are entirely consistent with the results of Seddougui [Q. J. Mech. Appl. Math. 43]. It is suggested that wall cooling has a significant stabilising effect, while reducing the half-angle is marginally destabilising. Solutions are presented for air.