H. Zare-Behtash

Head-on collision of shock wave induced vortices with solid and perforated walls

An experimental study has been conducted to examine the interaction of shock wave induced vortices with a flat plate and a perforated plate. The experiments were carried out using a 30mm internal diameter shock-tube at Mach numbers 1.31, 1.49, and 1.61 under critical driver conditions. Air was used both in the driver and driven sections. High-speed schlieren photography was employed to study the flow development and the resulting interactions with the plates. Wall pressure measurements on both plates were also carried out in order to study the flow interactions quantitatively. The experimental results indicated that a region of strong flow development is generated near the wall surface, due to the flow interactions of reflected waves and oncoming induced vortices. This flow behavior causes the generation of multiple pressure fluctuations on the wall. In the case of the perforated plate, a weaker initial reflected wave is produced, which is followed by compression waves, due to the internal reflections wit...

Micro-Ramps for Hypersonic Flow Control

Shock/boundary layer interaction (SBLI) is an undesirable phenomenon, occurring in high-speed propulsion systems. The conventional method to manipulate and control SBLI is using a bleed system that involves the removal of a certain amount of mass of the inlet flow to control boundary layer separation. However, the system requires a larger nacelle to compensate the mass loss, larger nacelles contribute to additional weight and drag and reduce the overall performance. This study investigates a novel type of flow control device called micro-ramps, a part of the micro vortex generators (VGs) family that intends to replace the bleed technique. Micro-ramps produce pairs of counter-rotating streamwise vortices, which help to suppress SBLI and reduce the chances of flow separation. Experiments were done at Mach 5 with two micro-ramp models of different sizes. Schlieren photography, surface flow visualization and infrared thermography were used in this investigation. The results revealed the detailed flow characteristics of the micro-ramp, such as the primary and secondary vortices. This helps us to understand the overall flow physics of micro-ramps in hypersonic flow and their application for SBLI control.

Experimental investigations of compressible vortex loops

The present study involves the shock wave and consequent vortex loop generated when a shock tube with various nozzle geometries is employed. It aims to provide quantitative and qualitative insight into the physics of these compressible phenomena. The geometries included two elliptic nozzles with minor to major axis ratios of 0.4 and 0.6, a 15 mm circular nozzle and a 30×30 mm2 square nozzle. The experiments were performed for driver gas (air) pressures of 4, 8 and 12 bars. Schlieren, shadowgraphy, and particle image velocimetry techniques were employed to visualize and quantify the induced flow field.

Influence of shock wave propagation on dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuator performance

Interest in plasma actuators as active flow control devices is growing rapidly due to their lack of mechanical parts, light weight and high response frequency. Although the flow induced by these actuators has received much attention, the effect that the external flow has on the performance of the actuator itself must also be considered, especially the influence of unsteady high-speed flows which are fast becoming a norm in the operating flight envelopes. The primary objective of this study is to examine the characteristics of a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator when exposed to an unsteady flow generated by a shock tube. This type of flow, which is often used in different studies, contains a range of flow regimes from sudden pressure and density changes to relatively uniform high-speed flow regions. A small circular shock tube is employed along with the schlieren photography technique to visualize the flow. The voltage and current traces of the plasma actuator are monitored throughout, and using the well-established shock tube theory the change in the actuator characteristics are related to the physical processes which occur inside the shock tube. The results show that not only is the shear layer outside of the shock tube affected by the plasma but the passage of the shock front and high-speed flow behind it also greatly influences the properties of the plasma.

Effects of filters on the performance and characteristics of pressure-sensitive paints

The current study investigates the effect of four different filter combinations on the pressure sensitivity, signal level and temperature sensitivity of pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) samples in an a priori calibration. Two different PSP formulations developed at the Aero-Physics Laboratory are studied, one using hydrochloric acid (PSP1-HCl) and the other acetone (PSP2-Ace). Both are incorporated in a sol–gel solution. The results show that the effect of choosing different bandwidths, central wavelengths and transmissions of the filters for the emitted and excitation wavelengths can have a significant impact on the behaviour of PSP, luminescent signal level, pressure and temperature sensitivity, and also eliminate the undesired wavelengths which can affect the final results.The current study investigates the effect of four different filter combinations on the pressure sensitivity, signal level and temperature sensitivity of pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) samples in an a priori calibration. Two different PSP formulations developed at the Aero-Physics Laboratory are studied, one using hydrochloric acid (PSP1-HCl) and the other acetone (PSP2-Ace). Both are incorporated in a sol–gel solution. The results show that the effect of choosing different bandwidths, central wavelengths and transmissions of the filters for the emitted and excitation wavelengths can have a significant impact on the behaviour of PSP, luminescent signal level, pressure and temperature sensitivity, and also eliminate the undesired wavelengths which can affect the final results.

Luminescent measurement systems for the investigation of a scramjet inlet-isolator.

Scramjets have become a main focus of study for many researchers, due to their application as propulsive devices in hypersonic flight. This entails a detailed understanding of the fluid mechanics involved to be able to design and operate these engines with maximum efficiency even at their off-design conditions. It is the objective of the present cold-flow investigation to study and analyse experimentally the mechanics of the fluid structures encountered within a generic scramjet inlet at M = 5. Traditionally, researchers have to rely on stream-thrust analysis, which requires the complex setup of a mass flow meter, a force balance and a heat transducer in order to measure inlet-isolator performance. Alternatively, the pitot rake could be positioned at inlet-isolator exit plane, but this method is intrusive to the flow, and the number of pitot tubes is limited by the model size constraint. Thus, this urgent need for a better flow diagnostics method is addressed in this paper. Pressure-sensitive paint (PSP) has been applied to investigate the flow characteristics on the compression ramp, isolator surface and isolator sidewall. Numerous shock-shock interactions, corner and shoulder separation regions, as well as shock trains were captured by the luminescent system. The performance of the scramjet inlet-isolator has been shown to improve when operated in a modest angle of attack.

Global Visualization and Quantification of Compressible Vortex Loops

The physics of compressible vortex loops generated due to the rolling up of the shear layer upon the diffraction of a shock wave from a shock tube is far from being understood, especially when shock-vortex interactions are involved. This is mainly due to the lack of global quantitative data available which characterizes the flow. The present study involves the usage of the PIV technique to characterize the velocity and vorticity of compressible vortex loops formed at incident shock Mach numbers ofM=1.54 and1.66. Another perk of the PIV technique over purely qualitative methods, which has been demonstrated in the current study, is that at the same time the results also provide a clear image of the various flow features. Techniques such as schlieren and shadowgraph rely on density gradients present in the flow and fail to capture regions of the flow influenced by the primary flow structure which would have relatively lower pressure and density. Various vortex loops, namely, square, elliptic and circular, were generated using different shape adaptors fitted to the end of the shock tube. The formation of a coaxial vortex loop with opposite circulation along with the generation of a third stronger vortex loop ahead of the primary with same circulation direction are of the interesting findings of the current study.

PSP Visualization Studies on a Convergent Nozzle with an Ejector System

An in-house Pressure Sensitive Paint (PSP) formulation has been developed at the Aero-Physics Laboratory at the University of Manchester. The PSP uses Bathophenanthroline Ruthenium as the luminophore molecule and is incorporated in a sol-gel matrix. Excitation occurs at400–500 nm and emission at550–650 nm. The Stern-Volmer plot of the PSP reveals small temperature dependence, which has always been an intrinsic drawback of PSPs. As a baseline experiment the PSP has been applied to examine the side-wall pressure field of the flow through a convergent nozzle with an ejector, at fully expanded Mach numbers in the rangeMj =0.52–1.36. Simultaneous static pressure measurements were also conducted to ascertain the accuracy of the PSP results. The paint has demonstrated satisfactory capabilities in not only measuring static pressures but also in visualizing key physical elements of the flow, such as the location of the expansion and oblique shock waves present in such flows.

State-of-the-art in aerodynamic shape optimisation methods

Aerodynamic optimisation has become an indispensable component for any aerodynamic design over the past 60 years, with applications to aircraft, cars, trains, bridges, wind turbines, internal pipe flows, and cavities, among others, and is thus relevant in many facets of technology. With advancements in computational power, automated design optimisation procedures have become more competent, however, there is an ambiguity and bias throughout the literature with regards to relative performance of optimisation architectures and employed algorithms. This paper provides a well-balanced critical review of the dominant optimisation approaches that have been integrated with aerodynamic theory for the purpose of shape optimisation. A total of 229 papers, published in more than 120 journals and conference proceedings, have been classified into 6 different optimisation algorithm approaches. The material cited includes some of the most well-established authors and publications in the field of aerodynamic optimisation. This paper aims to eliminate bias toward certain algorithms by analysing the limitations, drawbacks, and the benefits of the most utilised optimisation approaches. This review provides comprehensive but straightforward insight for non-specialists and reference detailing the current state for specialist practitioners.

Control of Flow Separation on a Contour Bump by Jets: An Experimental Study

The usage of three-dimensional contour bumps in shock control under transonic flows becomes an active research topic in the aerospace industry