Two-dimensional compression corner and planar shock wave interactions with a supersonic turbulent boundary layer

Experimental data have been obtained to describe the interactions between a turbulent boundary layer and (1) a two-dimensional compression corner and (2) an externally generated planar shock wave. Investigations were conducted at Mach number 3 over a range of Reynolds numbers from 10 to 100 million under adiabatic wall conditions. The effects of compression corner angle, planar shock wave strength, and Reynolds number on the length of separation and upstream influence were obtained. The incipient separation conditions and three-dimensional effects were also investigated. The separation and upstream influence lengths were found to increase with increasing Reynolds number for fixed overall pressure rise. The overall pressure rise for incipient separation is approximately the same for the compression corner interaction and the planar shock wave interaction, and increases with increasing Reynolds number. Turbulent boundary layer separation was found to be of the free interaction type, whereby the separation angle and the pressure distribution through separation were found to be independent of Reynolds number, overall pressure rise, and type of disturbance. For the case of the externally generated shock wave, the span of the shock generator had to be reduced in order to eliminate an initially significant influence of the sidewall shock wave-boundary layer interaction on the test region. (Author)