Mapping the Three-Dimensional Flowfield in Double-Fin SBLI

Shock-Wave/Boundary-Layer Interactions (SBLI), ubiquitous in most supersonic internal and external flows, pose major challenges in advancing super/hypersonic flight. Even simple geometries produce intricate SBLI flowfields that can have detrimental effects on the aerodynamics of high-speed air vehicles. Hence, an understanding of the underlying fundamental flow physics is imperative to effectively mitigate their adverse impact. In the present study, a crossing-shock induced by a Double-Fin (DF) SBLI is studied experimentally at Mach 2 and 3. This study explores the fully volumetric (3-dimensions, 3-components) mean flowfield topology of the DF interaction using a novel method, Scanning-Stereoscopic Particle Image Velocimetry (S-SPIV). S-SPIV is an innovative adaptation to SPIV, where the SPIV system is continuously traversed over the entire interaction region and reconstructed through spatio-temporal averaging of the instantaneous snapshots. This flowfield is highly three-dimensional and these direct measurements, first-of-a-kind for this flow, provide crucial insights into the interaction dynamics, identifying features and regions that are of interest from both fundamental and application perspectives.