Three-dimensional shock-Wave/boundary layEr intEracTions hypErsonic tuRbulent flowS

Hypersonic vehicles, with velocities exceeding five times the speed of sound, are pivotal for space exploration, reusable launch technologies, and rapid civil transportation.

A major challenge in advancing these technologies is the complex phenomenon of three-dimensional shock wave boundary layer interaction (SBLI). SBLI occurs when rapid shock waves from vehicle control surfaces intersect with the surrounding turbulent air layer.

Understanding this phenomenon is crucial due to its impact on control, drag, heat transfer, noise, and structural integrity. This research aims to unravel the physics of SBLI in hypersonic conditions using Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS).

DNS allows us to capture the real-gas effects and complex vehicle geometries, in order to explore three-dimensional effects and complex shock patterns.

Successful completion of this research will provide insights into flow distortion, unsteadiness phenomena, and shock-induced gas effects, bridging the knowledge gaps and improving existing computational models for hypersonic applications.

This research, therefore, carries significant implications for shaping the future of aerospace technology and exploration, given the strong implications for aerodynamics, especially in the emerging hypersonic vehicles, shedding light on unique hypersonic effects and knowledge transferability from supersonic regimes.