Effects of Reynolds Number and Ramp Angle on Görtler Vortices Over a Compression Ramp
摘要
Görtler vortices are streamwise-oriented, counter-rotating longitudinal vortices that form over concave surfaces when boundary layers become unstable due to centrifugal instability. These vortices significantly impact flow transition and heat transfer characteristics in high-speed aerodynamic applications, including engine intakes, wing flaps, and compression ramps. Understanding their formation and effects is crucial for optimizing the performance of hypersonic propulsion systems and predicting wall heating distributions in aerospace applications. This study investigates the supersonic flow over a compression corner using Large-eddy simulations (LES) with the objective of capturing Görtler vortices and analyzing their associated effects over the ramp. Simulations are carried out at a free-stream Mach number of \(M_\infty = 4\) and a reference Reynolds number of \(1.16 \times 10^5\) . The formation of these Görtler vortices is highly sensitive to both Reynolds number and ramp angles, which once formed can potentially impact boundary layer transition and wall heating rate distribution. A parametric study is conducted examining two ramp angles of \(15^\circ \) and \(18^\circ \) and three different positions of the ramp corner (P1-P3), effectively varying the Reynolds number conditions. The Görtler number, a dimensionless parameter predicting the onset of Görtler instability, is calculated to assess the susceptibility of the boundary layer to vortex formation. Results demonstrate that the strength of the Görtler vortices increases with both increasing ramp angle and downstream positioning of the ramp corner. This enhancement promotes early boundary layer transition through primary centrifugal instability and secondary instabilities. Our results indicate that the strength of the Görtler vortices increases with both increasing ramp angle and downstream positioning of the ramp corner. This enhancement promotes early boundary layer transition through primary centrifugal instability and secondary instabilities. The vortices exhibit characteristic upwash and downwash patterns, where downwash regions create significant spanwise variations in wall heating rates. For the most extreme test case ( \(18^\circ \) -P3), the peak value of the Stanton number is found to be approximately 26% higher than the time and span-averaged value, indicating that the effect of downwash on wall heating rate distribution is substantial.