Reacting and Non-Reacting Crossflow-Jet Interactions: URANS–LES Modeling with Experimental Validation

Jets in crossflow (JICF) play a vital role in high-speed propulsion, film cooling, and fuel–air mixing, where complex interactions between shocks, vortices, and turbulence govern flow behavior. Accurate modeling of these interactions remains a challenge, particularly in compressible and reacting regimes. This study presents a computational investigation of five canonical JICF cases to explore key flow features across different Mach numbers (0.8-2.4) and momentum ratios (1.7 – 10.2). The five cases span sonic and supersonic (3.73) jets in subsonic and supersonic crossflows, including a reacting hydrogen jet in supersonic air. Unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) simulations using the κ–ω SST model were performed for all cases, with second-order accuracy in both space and time. For the reacting flow case, a large eddy simulation (LES) employing the dynamic Smagorinsky model was conducted to resolve turbulence–chemistry interactions and capture detailed flame dynamics. The LES reveals key features such as jet–shock interactions, radical formation zones, and heat release structures not captured by URANS alone. Results are validated against experimental data from Beresh et al. (AIAA 2005), Santiago et al. (JPP 1997), and Gamba and Mungal (JFM, 2015), showing good agreement in velocity and Reynolds stress profiles across streamwise locations. Surface pressure and skin friction compare well with both experiments and reference LES data (Chai et al., JFM 2013). In the reacting case, distributions of NO, OH, and H mass fractions and heat release rate match qualitatively with experimental observations, revealing insights into flame stabilization and scalar mixing. This work offers a unified numerical framework for analyzing reacting and non-reacting JICF flows. The inclusion of LES in the reacting case provides enhanced physical understanding of high-speed mixing and combustion.

Funding Acknowledgment:

NSF-CAREER ##2314303, AFOSR #FA9550-23-1-0241