Output details

Numerical simulations of turbulent spots in supersonic boundary layers: effects of Mach number and wall temperature

Significance of output:

This paper is a fundamental study of the behaviour of turbulent spots at high Mach number. Such spots influence the transition from laminar to turbulent flow, but their behaviour at high Mach numbers is affected by compressibility effects, which tend to reduce the spot growth rate. This in turn influences the aerodynamic heating of the vehicle and can therefore critically influence its design. By carrying out direct numerical simulations the influence of wall temperature on spot growth rate at various Mach numbers was identified. The research was carried out in support of the EU FP7 projects ATLLAS and LAPCAT.