Aerothermodynamic analysis and rear wake assessment of shock wave interference over blunt leading edge at Mach 6.5

A detailed numerical study of shock-wave interference on a cylindrical blunt leading edge in hypersonic flow is carried out to reveal the effect of shock-shock interaction on peak heating and blunt body aerodynamics. This study is unique in that it examines the effect of interactions on rear wake formation and aerodynamic forces acting on the blunt body. Six different shock wave interference patterns described by Edney are studied for a freestream Mach number of 6.5. Compressible Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations are solved using finite volume method to obtain accurate prediction of the flowfield and aerodynamic loads. Hugoniot jump conditions are imposed in the inlet boundary to realize oblique shock of desired strength to interact with the detached shock at specific location. Numerical predictions are in good agreement with reported experimental measurements. The results obtained in this study reveals that the type of shock-shock interaction pattern can significantly alter the characteristics of the rear wake. Comparisons to undisturbed flow conditions reveal that Type II to VI interactions lead to an increase in wake size, whereas Type I interaction shows a marginal reduction. These changes in wake size are attributed to modifications in the forebody boundary layer induced by the shock-shock interactions. In the case of Type I interaction, however, the transmitted wave interacting with the rear wake is found to be responsible for the marginal reduction in wake size. This study also shows that changes to the rear wake structure caused by the change in interaction type can affect aerodynamic loads. Type VI interaction recorded a maximum drag coefficient of 2.96, whereas Type IV interaction yielded a maximum lift coefficient of 0.992. These findings demonstrate the potential for dynamically adjusting the control forces of a flying body by manipulating shock interference.