Shock wave-induced extremely high temporal and spatial oscillating pressure peaks

Abstract

Recent studies dealing with supersonic/hypersonic flows over various geometrical configurations, which resemble two-dimensional and axisymmetric supersonic/hypersonic intakes, reveal that there are situations in which spatial and temporal oscillating pressure fields are established in steady flows. Similar oscillations were found by Olejniczak et al. ( J. Fluid Mech. 1997, 352, 1—25) who studied the flow over a two-dimensional double wedge resembling the nose of supersonic/hypersonic vehicles. It was found in these, studies that oscillating pressure fields could reach extremely high pressure peaks. Pressure peaks that were two to three orders of magnitude larger than the ambient pressure were obtained in some of these studies. The major results of these studies are presented in this technical note. It is hypothesized that oscillating pressure fields with extremely high pressure peaks could cause severe structural damage to the surfaces of supersonic/hypersonic intakes and vehicles over which they are developed.