Surface pressure fluctuations in hypersonic turbulent boundary layers.
The surface pressure fluctuations on a flat-plate model at hypersonic Mach numbers of 5.2, 7.4, and 10.4 with an attached turbulent boundary layer were measured using flush-mounted small piezoelectric sensors. A high-frequency resolution of the pressure field was achieved using specially designed small piezoelectric sensors. The rms pressures and nondimensional energy spectra for all above Mach numbers are presented. The convective velocities, obtained from space-time correlation considerations are equal to 0.7 of the free-stream velocity. The results indicate that the rms pressures vary from 5 to 25% of the mean static pressures. The ratios of rms pressure to dynamic pressure are less than the universally accepted subsonic value of .006. The ratio decreases in value as the Mach number or the dynamic pressure is increased.