Laminar heat-flux from a cooled plate moving at hypersonic speed

Heat transfer to a fluid via a laminar compressible boundary-layer flow over a flat plate with sharp leading edge is studied in the hypersonic limit. The interaction between the shock wave and boundary-layer is characterized using the hypersonic interaction parameter χ = M³(C/Re)^1/2 where M and Re are the free-stream Mach and Reynolds numbers, respectively, and C is the Chapman-Rubesin constant. To study the heat transfer we solved the Prandtl boundary-layer equations that represent the viscous-layer flow over a cooled wall. For the inviscid-layer we utilized a tangent-wedge approximation. Boundary-layer, wall pressure and shear stress profile were computed. The computational results are used to estimate a steady wall heat flux profile over the plate that is compared with recent results from experiments performed in a Mach 6 wind tunnel.

Distribution is unlimited/Case# AFRL-2024-3482; Cleared 06/28/2024