Simulations of Unsteady Three-Dimensional Hypersonic Double-Wedge Flow Experiments

Hypersonic flow over a three-dimensional 30–55 deg double wedge is investigated for three different conditions of varying enthalpy and Reynolds number with nitrogen as the test gas. Streamwise and spanwise wall heat flux are compared to the experimental data that were obtained at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and the California Institute of Technology. In previous studies, there were concerns that portions of the flowfield were rarefied; however, after an in-depth analysis, we find the flowfield to be firmly in the continuum regime. Comparisons of heat flux at an instant of time in the simulations show good agreement with the experiments. However, averaged heat flux over a long period of time relative to the experimental test time are underpredicted and develop low-frequency periodic motion. To better understand the unsteadiness and three-dimensionality of the flowfield, we analyze the mass flux through a spanwise plane, and we perform sparsity-promoting dynamic mode decomposition for the wall heat flux and midplane pressure. Finally, we analyze the effect of vibrational nonequilibrium on the flowfield. It is found that the flowfield dynamics vary with increasing enthalpy and Reynolds number. Furthermore, the flowfield is found to be three dimensional, unsteady, and asymmetric for all cases.