Effect of Reynolds number on compressible convex-corner flows

Abstract

An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of Reynolds number on compressible convex-corner flows, which correspond to an upper surface of a deflected flap of an aircraft wing. The flow is naturally developed along a flat plate with two different lengths, resulting in different incoming boundary layer thicknesses or Reynolds numbers. It is found that boundary layer Reynolds number, ranging from <TEX>$8.04{\times}10^4$</TEX> to <TEX>$1.63{\times}10^5$</TEX>, has a minor influence on flow expansion and compression near the corner apex in the transonic flow regime, but not for the subsonic expansion flow. For shock-induced separated flow, higher peak pressure fluctuations are observed at smaller Reynolds number, corresponding to the excursion phenomena and the shorter region of shock-induced boundary layer separation. An explicit correlation of separation length with deflection angle is also presented.