Numerical investigation of shock-turbulent mixing layer interaction and shock-associated noise

Abstract

Direct numerical simulation of shock-turbulent mixing layer interaction (STMLI) is conducted in this paper to study the influence of shock-turbulent interaction (STI) on the turbulence evolution and shock-associated noise. The results show that turbulent kinetic energy and pressure fluctuation around the interaction point of STI are both first increased and then reduced to a smaller value than that in the fully developed region of the turbulent mixing layer, while the Reynolds-stress anisotropy at the upper edge of STMLI is changed under the compression–expansion effect induced by the distorted shock tip and the reflected expansion wave. Additionally, it is found that shock-associated noise would increase the overall sound pressure level (OASPL) and amplify the high-frequency noise at the upstream observers. By applying the shock-leakage theory, the turbulence scale analysis, and the spectrum analysis, two generation mechanisms of shock-associated noise are identified: first, the influence of turbulence on the shock wave results in the shock unsteady movement, which generates a sound wave with cylindrical wave front; second, STI decreases the turbulence scale and increases the pressure fluctuation in the high-frequency band so as to strengthen the small-scale turbulence to radiate out more high-frequency noise. Finally, the shock strength effect on shock-associated noise is explored, and the shock-associated noise reduction is observed when decreasing the shock strength. By converting the OASPL difference to the equivalent acoustic pressure difference, a linear correlation between the shock-associated noise source strength and the shock strength is found.