Application of unsteady mixing equations to some aerodynamic problems

Abstract

Tangential discontinuities [1] are introduced in solving several transient and steady-state problems of gas dynamics. These discontinuities are unstable [2] as a result of the effects of viscosity and thermal conductivity. Therefore it is advisable to replace the tangential discontinuity by a mixing region and account for its interaction with the inviscid flows, establishing on the boundaries of this region the conditions of vanishing friction stress and equality of the velocity and temperature components to the corresponding velocity and temperature components of the inviscid flows. This formulation improves the accuracy of the solution of such problems by posing them as problems with irregular reflection and intersection of shock waves [1]. The consideration of the interaction of unsteady turbulent mixing regions with the inviscid flow also permits the formulation of several problems in which the effects of viscosity lead to complete rearrangement of the flow pattern (the lambda-configuration) with the interaction of the reflected shock wave with the boundary layer in the shock tube [3,4], the formation of zones of developed separation ahead of obstacles, etc.). In this connection, §1 presents an analysis of the self-similar solutions of the unsteady turbulent mixing equations (a corresponding analysis of the laminar mixing equations which coincide with the boundary layer equations is presented in [1]). It is shown that these self-similar solutions describe, along with the several problems noted above, the problems of the formation of steady jets and mixing zones in the base wake. As an example, §2 presents, within the framework of the proposed schematization, an approximate solution of the problem of the interaction of a shock wave reflected from a semi-infinite wall with the boundary layer on a horizontal plate behind the incident shock wave. The results obtained are applied to the analysis of reflection in a shock tube. Computational results are presented which are in qualitative agreement with experiment [3, 4].