Shock Tunnel Studies on Shock–Shock Interaction

Abstract

The interaction of a Shockwave with another Shockwave is an unavoidable phenomenon in high speed flows. These interactions may lead to high pressure and thermal loads on the surface in the vicinity, deteriorates the aerodynamic performance of the system if present internally, and may also lead to the un-start of Scramjet engine due to presence of the subsonic flow downstream of the interaction point. Edney [1] identified and classified these interactions into six different types using a blunt body in a Hypersonic Wind Tunnel. This phenomenon has motivated many research groups to study them and try to figure out the critical conditions for the pressure and thermal loads. Wieting and Holden [2] experimentally studied the shockwave interference heating on a cylinder at Mach 6 and Mach 8. Sanderson, Hornung, and Sturtevant [3] studied the interacting shockwaves in dissociating gas.