Calculation of the three-dimensional flow field in supersonic inlets at angle of attack using a bicharacteristic method with discrete shock wave fitting
An analysis is presented for calculating the flow field in supersonic mixed-compression aircraft inlets operating at angle of attack. The flow field is computed by a steady three-dimensional bicharacteristic method. The bow shock wave and the reflected internal shock wave system are computed by a three-dimensional discrete shock wave fitting procedure. Viscous and thermal diffusion may be included as source terms in the bicharacteristic method. A production type computer program capable of determining the flow field in a variety of axisymmetric mixed-compression supersonic inlets is available. The results of the present analysis agree well with those produced by the two-dimensional method of characteristics when axisymmetric flow fields are computed. For three-dimensional flow fields, the results of the present analysis agree well with experimental data except in regions of high viscous interaction and boundary layer removal. The present analysis does not compute the boundary layer, nor does it account for boundary layer bleed.