Hypersonic flow over a double wedge

What is it about?

We have shown the physics and characteristics of a non-equilibrium hypersonic flow over a double wedge with varying aft angles. The research compares the shock structures and examines the reacting behaviour of the flow, pressure and heat flux distributions on the wedge surface at each aft angle. Analyses in this research were conducted by a newly developed open-source hypersonic solver which was developed within the framework of OpenFOAM.

Featured Image

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Photo by NASA on Unsplash

Why is it important?

The research provides critical findings for the design of parts of supersonic/hypersonic vehicles such as scramjets, ramjets and supersonic inlets. The localized heatings and pressure loads on the vehicle surfaces could be intense due to complex shock wave - boundary layer interactions. The present research shows the high pressure and heat flux locations on the surface and helps the designing of such hypersonic vehicle parts.