The Influence of Conical Shocks on Compression Corner Shock Wave/Boundary Layer Interactions

A full-span, 20° compression corner is used to generate a separated, shock-wave/turbulent boundary layer interaction (SBLI) in a rectangular cross-sectioned wind tunnel with a free stream Mach number of 2.5. The experiments are intended to isolate the influence of corner separation-induced conical shock waves on the main compression ramp separation. Quartercones were placed into the streamwise corners of the test section ahead of the compression ramp to generate conical shocks; the pressure ratio of these shocks was varied between 1.055-1.219 by varying the half-angles of cones placed in the streamwise corner. Their effects were measured using Schlieren imaging, surface oil flow visualisations, and pressure sensitive paint. Results indicate that increased separation at the centreline of the wind tunnel is correlated with increasing conical shock strength, and that two distinct separated flow topologies exist, which depend on the strength of the conical shock.