Shock Interaction Control for Scramjet Cowl Leading Edges

摘要

The development of hypersonic vehicles presents a number of challenges to designers. High pressure and heating are expected to occur in areas of the vehicle subjected to shock interactions. Typical areas of concern are wing, tail, control surface compression corners, and axial corners created at wing/body surface junctions. For air-breathing vehicles, the engine cowl leading edge is of particular concern because of the desire to maximize engine thrust by maximizing air capture. This requires the vehicle to be designed and operated such that the compression shocks produced by the forebody ramps intersect the cowl leading edge. Unfortunately, these shocks can produce extremely high pressure and heating on the cowl leading edge, depending on where they intersect the cowl bow shock. The peak pressure and heating also depend on Mach number, Reynolds number, gas composition, and impinging shock strength.