Effect of suction on laminar-flow control in subsonic boundary layers with forward-/backward-facing steps

Abstract

In a subsonic boundary layer, a forward-facing step (FFS) or a backward-facing step (BFS) usually destabilizes the oncoming Tollmien–Schlichting (T-S) waves, leading to a promotion of laminar–turbulent transition. This paper studies a laminar-flow control strategy by introducing wall suction immediately ahead of the FFS or behind the BFS. The impact of the step–suction combination on an oncoming T-S wave is quantified by a transmission coefficient, defined as the ratio of the asymptotic amplitude downstream of the step and suction to that upstream. In order to solve this problem, a local scattering theory based on the large-Reynolds number (large-R) asymptotic framework and a Harmonic linearized Navier–Stokes approach, that calculates the perturbation field at finite Reynolds numbers, are employed. The latter approach is confirmed to be accurate by comparing its results with direct numerical simulations, and the results given by the two approaches agree when the Reynolds number is asymptotically large. According to the large-R triple-deck formulism, a few control parameters, such as the Mach number, Reynolds number, and wall temperature, disappear, which makes a systematical parametric study possible. The destabilizing effect of a step increases with its height, while the stabilizing effect of suction increases with its flux. For a step with a moderate height, suction with a small flux is sufficient to compensate the destabilizing effect of the step.