High-Fidelity Numerical Analysis of Supersonic Shock Boundary Layer Interaction in Propulsion
Keywords:
Boundary-layer interaction; separation bubble; supersonic inlet; scramjet isolator; RANS; LES; DNS; propulsion systems.Abstract
The separation bubbles in the shock-wave and boundary-layer interaction (SBLI) region have adverse effects on inlet pressure recovery, bring about unsteady loading, and are a threat to the operability of supersonic propulsion systems. The focus of this survey is on recent numerical studies of separation-bubble prediction, shock-train coupling, sidewall confinement, transition and control in propulsion-related geometries. Although the literature is not presented chronologically by date, it is sorted sequentially by fidelity level, geometry, unsteadiness mechanism, validation path and control-technology approach. The review demonstrates that Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) is still very useful for preliminary design, that hybrid RANS–large-eddy simulation (LES) is currently the most suitable tool available for unsteady engineering applications and that direct numerical simulation (DNS)/LES is still primarily a physics database. The primary difference lies in a field-stable separation-bubble closure that is numerically robust and will readily adjust across Mach number, Reynolds number, wall temperature, or inlet geometry.
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