Spatiotemporal dynamics of transonic shock-wave/turbulent-boundary-layer interactions in an overexpanded planar nozzle

TL;DR

This study combines experiments and high-resolution simulations to analyze the unsteady shock-wave/turbulent-boundary-layer interactions in a transonic nozzle, revealing the mechanisms behind low-frequency shock unsteadiness and turbulence characteristics.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the spatiotemporal dynamics of shock interactions and unsteadiness in low NPR transonic nozzles using advanced spectral and modal analysis techniques.

Findings

Low frequency modes are linked to shock unsteadiness staging behavior.

Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities influence high frequency turbulence.

Downstream perturbations sustain low frequency unsteadiness.

Abstract

We perform a combined numerical and experimental study to investigate the transonic shock-wave/turbulent-boundary-layer interactions (STBLI) in a shock-induced separated subscale planar nozzle with fully-expanded Mach number,$M_j = 1.05$ and jet Reynolds number $Re \sim 10^5$. The nozzle configuration is tested via time-resolved schlieren visualisation. While numerous studies have been conducted on the high Reynolds number separated flowfields, little is known on the weak shock wave unsteadiness present in low nozzle pressure ratio (NPR) transonic nozzles. Therefore, numerical simulations are carried out with high resolution three-dimensional delayed detached eddy simulation (DDES), to study the spatiotemporal dynamics of wall pressure signals and unsteady shock interactions. The transient statistics considered include spectral Fourier and wavelet-based analysis and dynamic mode decomposition (DMD). The spectral analyses reveal energetic low frequency modes corresponding to the staging behaviour of shock unsteadiness, and high frequencies linked to the characteristics of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instabilities in the downstream turbulent mixing layer. The mechanisms for the low frequency unsteadiness is educed through modal decomposition and spectral analysis, wherein it is found that the downstream perturbations within the separation bubble play a major role in not only closing the aeroacoustic feedback loop, but allowing the continual evolution and sustainment of low frequency unsteadiness. An analysis via the vortex sheet method is also carried out to characterise the screech production, by assuming an upstream propagating guided jet mode