Micro-ramps in Mach 5 hypersonic flow

Saad, M.R., Che Idris, A., Zare-Behtash, H. and Kontis, K. (2012) Micro-ramps in Mach 5 hypersonic flow. In: 50th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including The New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition, Nashville, TN, USA, 9-12 Jan 2012, (doi: 10.2514/6.2012-676)

Abstract

Shock/boundary layer interaction (SBLI) is an undesirable phenomenon, occurring in high-speed propulsion systems. The conventional method to manipulate and control SBLI is using a bleed system that involves the removal of a certain amount of mass of the inlet flow to control boundary layer separation. However, the system requires a larger nacelle to compensate the mass loss, larger nacelles contribute to additional weight and drag and reduce the overall performance. This study investigates a novel type of flow control device called micro-ramps, a part of the micro vortex generators (VGs) family that intends to replace the bleed technique. Micro-ramps produce pairs of counter-rotating streamwise vortices, which help to suppress SBLI and reduce the chances of flow separation. Experiments were done at Mach 5 with two micro-ramp models of different sizes. Schlieren photography, surface flow visualization and infrared thermography were used in this investigation. The results revealed the detailed flow characteristics of the micro-ramp, such as the primary and secondary vortices. This helps us to understand the overall flow physics of micro-ramps in hypersonic flow and their application for SBLI control.

• Item Type: Conference Proceedings
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Zare-Behtash, Dr Hossein
• Authors: Saad, M.R., Che Idris, A., Zare-Behtash, H., and Kontis, K.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Autonomous Systems and Connectivity