Three-dimensional shock-shock interactions on the scramjet inlet

Abstract

The effects of shock impingement on the inlet of a scramjet engine are investigated numerically. The impinging shock is caused by the vehicle forebody. The interaction of this forebody shock with the inlet leading edge shock results in a very complex fully three-dimensional flowfield containing local regions of high pressure and intense heating. In the present investigation, this complex flowfield is calculated by solving the thin-layer Navier-Stokes equations using a finite-volume flux splitting technique due to van Leer. For zero or small sweep angles a Type IV interaction occurs while for moderate sweep of about 25 deg, a Type V interaction occurs. Both Type IV and Type V interactions are investigated.