Effects of Sidewall Compression and Relaminarization in a Scramjet Inlet

Abstract

This paper presents the numerical simulations and the performance analysis of a scramjet inlet as part of a combined experimental and numerical study. A well-validated finite volume flow solver was used to simulate a scramjet inlet with a double ramp configuration for outer compression, including varying degrees of sidewall compression. The computed wall pressure and heat transfer in the symmetry plane are in close agreement with the measurements, and the numerical results indicate that the weak sidewall compression alters the inlet performance significantly. The effects of partial relaminarization over the expansion corner, before the interior part of the inlet, is isolated and investigated in both the experiment and simulation. It is shown that relaminarization of a boundary layer is predicted accurately using the current numerical methods. This work represents a contribution to the understanding of the effects of sidewall compression and relaminarization in designing a scramjet inlet.