Thermal protection and drag reduction induced by flow control devices in supersonic/hypersonic flows: A review

The remarkable feature of the flow field of compressible aerodynamics is the shock wave structure. The prominent feature of the current leading edge flow field of supersonic and hypersonic aircraft is the bow shock wave structure, which is the root cause of high-speed aircraft wave resistance and extreme aerodynamic heating. Research and advancement of new aerodynamic resistance mitigation methods and thermal protection systems for supersonic and hypersonic aircraft have received widespread attention from researchers from various countries. This article reviews the mechanical spike structure and two active flow control methods: counterflowing jet and energy deposition, focusing on the research progress of various combined flow control methods in recent years. Their mechanisms of action, respective advantages and challenges for future development are introduced in detail. Research on supersonic flow field aerodynamic resistance mitigation and thermal protection systems will surely promote the development of high-speed aircraft in terms of increasing flight distance, reducing weight and protecting the leading-edge structure to achieve lightweight aircraft.