Shock-Wave Turbulent Boundary Layer Interactions

Shock-wave turbulent boundary layer interaction (STBLI) observed in high-speed aerospace applications shows the presence of complex flow phenomena that are unsteady, nonlinear, multi-physics, and multi-scale in nature. These phenomena include boundary layer thickening, shock dynamics, shock-induced separation/reattachment, intense thermo-mechanical loading, temperature effects, and low-frequency unsteadiness. In aerospace applications, these complex flow phenomena can cause aircraft buffeting, structural damage, engine unstart/surge, or complete loss of control of the flight vehicle, which led to many accidents in early attempts at supersonic flight. Therefore, the prediction of STBLI in an accurate manner is critical for newer and/or improved designs of such applications. The focus of this research effort is on the development and assessment of modeling approaches for large-eddy simulation (LES) of STBLI, which can be used for predictive simulations. A particular focus is on establishing LES capabilities to capture the temperature and three-dimensional effects.