Microvortex generators in high-speed flow

We perform a computational study of the interaction of a planar shock wave with a cylindrical vortex. We use a particularly robust High Resolution Shock Capturing scheme, Marquina's scheme, to obtain high quality, high resolution numerical simulations of the interaction. In the case of a very-strong shock/vortex encounter, we observe a severe reorganization of the flow field in the downstream region, which seems to be due mainly to the strength of the shock. The numerical data is analyzed to study the driving mechanisms for the production of vorticity in the interaction.

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Shock-Vortex Interactions at High Mach Numbers

Aspects of shock wave-induced vortex breakdown

A review of the state-of-the-knowledge of micro vortex generators (MVGs) and their effect on separated shock/boundary-layer interactions is provided. MVGs are thought to be effective for reducing the separation zone. However, details of how they affect the separation zone remain to be understood properly. In addition, metrics on how the MVGs affect the separation have not been well developed. Suggestions for further study are provided.

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Review of Micro Vortex Generators in High-Speed Flow

For air-breathing propulsion systems intended for flight at very high Mach numbers, combustion is carried out at supersonic velocities and the process is mixing limited. Substantial increase in mixing rates can be obtained by fuel injection strategies centered on generating selected modes of supersonic, streamwise vortex interactions. Despite the recognized importance, and potential of the role of streamwise vortices for supersonic mixing enhancement, only few fundamental studies on their dynamics and interactions have been conducted, leaving the field largely unexplored. A reduced order model that allows the dynamics of complex, interacting, supersonic vortical structures to be investigated, is presented in this work. The prediction of the evolution of mutually interacting streamwise vortices represents an enabling element for the initiation of an effective, systematic experimental study of selected cases of interest, and is an important step toward the design of new fuel injection strategies for supersonic combustors. The case presented in this work is centered on a merging process of co-rotating vortices, and the subsequent evolution of a system composed of two counter-rotating vortex pairs. This interaction was studied, initially, with the proposed model, and was chosen for the peculiarity of the resulting morphology of the vorticity field. These results were used to design an experimental investigation with the intent to target the same specific complex flow physics. The experiment revealed the same peculiar features encountered in the simulation.

Vortex dynamics studies in supersonic flow: Merging of co-rotating streamwise vortices

An experimental study of the flowfield generated by the interaction of a streamwise vortex having a strong wake-type axial Mach number profile and a two-dimensional oblique shock wave was conducted in a Mach 2.49 flow. The experiments were aimed at investigating the dynamics of supersonic vortex distortion and to study downstream behavior of a streamwise vortex during a strong shock wave/vortex encounter. The experiments involved positioning an oblique shock generator in the form of a two-dimensional wedge downstream of a semi-span, vortex generator wing section so that the wing-tip vortex interacted with the otherwise planar oblique shock wave. Planar laser sheet visualizations of the flowfield indicated an expansion of the vortex core in crossing a spherically blunt-nose shock front. The maximum vortex core diameter occurred at a distance of 12.7 mm downstream of the wedge leading edge where the vortex had a core diameter of more than double its undisturbed value. At distances further downstream the vortex core diameter remained nearly constant, while it appeared to become more diffused at distances far from the wedge leading edge. Measurements of vortex trajectory revealed that the vortex convected in the freestream direction immediately downstream of the bulged-forward shock structure, while it traveled parallel to the wedge surface at distances further downstream. The turbulent distorted vortex structure which formed as a result of the interaction, was found to be sensitive to downstream disturbances in a manner consistent with incompressible vortex breakdown. Physical arguments are presented to relate behavior of streamwise vortices during oblique and normal shock wave interactions.

S. Popovic

Papers

Some aspects of streamwise vortex behavior during oblique shock wave/vortex interaction