Wall-Modeled Large-Eddy Simulations of Compression Ramp Shock/Boundary-Layer Interactions on Flexible Panels

A critical feature of supersonic flow is the coupling between shock-wave/boundary-layer interactions (SBLIs) and the solid

structures over which they develop. These interactions can generate both low and high-frequency oscillatory motions of the

shock wave and separation bubble which, in turn, cause surrounding flexible panels to resonate and potentially fail. High-speed

wind-tunnel experiments by Schreyer et. al. (2022) have explored the effect of air-jet vortex generators on these fluid-structure

interactions and their potential advantages on flow separation control.

We present a numerical study that aims to replicate the experimental results obtained by Schreyer et. al. using wall-modeled

large-eddy simulations (WMLES), coupled with a solid solver, to investigate the viability of WMLES in modeling fluid-structure

interactions of compression-ramp SBLIs. Turbulent air flow is diverted over a 24^◦ compression ramp at M_∞ = 2.52 and

Re_θ = 8225, for three flexible panels of aspect ratios 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 located upstream of the ramp and clamped on their

upstream and downstream edges. In the control case of a rigid panel, contour plots for velocity components and wall-normal

vorticity are compared with their experimental counterparts, while turbulent boundary layer profiles for streamwise and wall-

normal velocities are compared for all cases.