Control mechanism of the three-dimensional shock wave/boundary layer interaction with the steady and pulsed micro-jets in a supersonic crossflow

The separation induced by shock wave/boundary layer interactions (SWBLI) is detrimental to the performance of the flow field, and thus, needs to be reduced by using passive or active approaches. In this study, the authors numerically evaluate flow control induced by steady and pulsed micro-jets to capture the mechanism of control of three-dimensional (3D) SWBLIs. The volume of the separation zone is accurately calculated to assess the control effect. The results predicted by the 3D Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations coupled with the two-equation κ-ω turbulence model of shear stress transport show that the proposed method of using steady or pulsed micro-jets can significantly reduce the volume of the separation zone induced by shock wave/boundary layer interactions. The best comprehensive effect of control over the flow field was obtained by using a high frequency angled jet—namely, case P5—as it reduced the volume of the separation zone by 19.43% with only a small loss in the total pressure. The upwash and downwash motions induced by the streamwise counter-rotating vortex pairs of the jet constituted a key factor influencing the control of the separation zone.