• DOI:10.2514/6.2017-2127
• Corpus ID: 119290547

Aerodynamic Heating in Hypersonic Boundary Layers:\ Role of Dilatational Waves

@article{Zhu2016AerodynamicHI,
  title={Aerodynamic Heating in Hypersonic Boundary Layers:\ Role of Dilatational Waves},
  author={Yiding Zhu and Xi Chen and Jiezhi Wu and Shiyi Chen and Cunbiao Lee and Mohamed Gad-el-Hak},
  journal={arXiv: Fluid Dynamics},
  year={2016}
}

• Yiding Zhu, Xi Chen, +3 authors M. Gad-el-Hak
• Published 1 July 2016
• Physics, Engineering
• arXiv: Fluid Dynamics

The evolution of multi-mode instabilities in a hypersonic boundary layer and their effects on aerodynamic heating are investigated. Experiments are conducted in a Mach 6 wind tunnel using Rayleigh-scattering flow visualization, fast-response pressure sensors, fluorescent temperature-sensitive paint (TSP), and particle image velocimetry (PIV). Calculations are also performed based on both parabolized stability equations (PSE) and direct numerical simulations (DNS). It is found that second-mode dilatational waves, accompanied by high-frequency alternating fluid compression and expansion, produce intense aerodynamic heating in a small region that rapidly heats the fluid passing through it. As a result, the surface temperature rapidly increases and results in an overshoot over the nominal transitional value. When the dilatation waves decay downstream, the surface temperature decreases gradually until transition is completed. A theoretical analysis is provided to interpret the temperature distribution affected by the aerodynamic heating.