Effect of Aeroelastically-Informed Surface Deformations on Shock/Boundary-Layer Interactions

Shock boundary layer interactions (SBLI) are commonplace in high-speed flows and are associated with a strong mean adverse pressure gradient and intense fluctuating loads. These flow phenomena are undesirable in the context of fluid-structure interactions (FSI), as they can induce large time-mean and dynamic deformations. Although static surface deformations have been explored as a control device, the role that the time-mean deformation plays in the aeroelastic flow response is relatively uninvestigated. In this work, large eddy simulations are performed to explore the effect of static surface deformations on turbulent SBLI. The static deformations are obtained through a series of precursor one-way simulations from the flow to the structure for different values of cavity pressure underneath the surface, thus ensuring that the deformations are relevant in the context of FSI. As the cavity pressure is increased, the surface is modulated from a primarily out-of-flow to an into-flow deformation. Consequently, the prescribed deformations traverse a wide range of time-mean surface deformations commonly observed in experimental and numerical campaigns. The effect of surface deformations on the turbulent flow is quantified through changes to the mean flow topology and a description of the flow unsteadiness through spectral analysis and data-driven modal techniques.