Boundary layer transition on swept cylinders at hypersonic speeds

Abstract

We present boundary-layer transition data on swept cylinders in hypersonic flow that were obtained in the hypersonic Ludwieg-tube wind tunnel of DLR. Experiments were conducted at M∞ = 5.0 and 6.9 for three swept cylinders with and without end plates and sweep angles of 30, 45, and 60 deg, respectively. To determine the state of the boundary layers, the liquid-crystal technique was applied. In addition, the response of attachment-line transition to surface roughness heights due to trip wires for sweep angles of 45 and 60 deg at M∞ = 5.0 was investigated. Freestream Reynolds numbers based on cylinder diameter for attachment-line transition were about 0.2-0.3 x 10 6 for the end plate disturbances and 0.9-1.2 x 10 6 for no contaminations. Trends of attachment-line transition Reynolds numbers with surface roughness heights are roughly similar to subsonic ones with respect to critical roughness heights. The behavior of the attachment-line transition around the critical roughness heights, however, depended strongly on spanwise Mach numbers. With flow visualizations, off-attachment-line transition could be observed, as well as fine streak pattern in laminar flow region upstream of the transition front, confirming streamwise vortices induced by crossflow instability at hypersonic speeds.