RANS CFD applied to 2D canonical shock wave turbulent boundary layer interaction

Abstract

In high-speed flight, Shock Wave Turbulent Boundary Layer Interaction (SWTBLI) commonly occurs in a wide range of external and internal flow problems affecting aircraft, missiles, rockets, and other projectiles. The fundamental physics of SWTBLI are often best examined in canonical situations. A Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) method prediction tool for simulating high-speed SWTBLI flow fields for 2D canonical configurations was enhanced in this research. RANS CFD method simulations are extensively used for engineering prediction of SWTBLI in high-speed flows. However, in the presence of strong shockwaves significant disagreement with experimental data is typically observed as all pertinent flow physics are not suitably captured by standard RANS simulations. Methods allowing for the effects of shock unsteadiness and variable turbulent Prandtl number PrT are integrated into the turbulence models of the RANS CFD method developed in this research to capture more of the pertinent flow physics associated at SWTBLI regions and so improve the calculations. Overall, results obtained from the modified turbulence models show a substantial improvement in prediction of key aerothermodynamic parameters for the strong SWTBLI flow test cases assessed as compared to results obtained using the standard turbulence closure models. For the oblique impinging shockwave configuration test case undertaken for example, the computed reattachment shock region peak surface heat flux error margin achieved against experiment by the standard models was demonstrated to be as high as 400% approximately. This error margin was reduced to as low as 15% by the modified models.