Computations of three-dimensional unsteady supersonic cavity flow to study the effect of different downstream geometries

Abstract

Computations of three-dimensional unsteady supersonic cavity flow are performed for a freestream Mach number of 1.2. Two cavity geometries are considered: (i) a simple rectangular cavity of length-to-depth (L/D) and length-to-width (L/W) ratios of 4.5, and (ii) a cavity with a 45° ramp attached to the downstream wall of the simple rectangular cavity. Two flow models for computing the cavity flowfield are assessed: (a) the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations with a k-co turbulence model for the whole flow-field, and (b) a combination of an inviscid flow model using the Euler equations for the domain outside the boundary layer and the RANS model for the boundary layer. The structures of the flowfields resulting from the different models are observed. The effect of the different downstream geometries is assessed.