Study of the interaction of a normal shock wave with a turbulent boundary layer at Mach numbers between 1.30 and 1.55

This paper presents the results of an experimental and numerical investigation of the steady interaction of a normal shock wave with a turbulent boundary layer. The main feature of the experimental work is the use of techniques developed to study the unsteady interaction to obtain very accurate surface pressure distributions for the steady interaction. Results have been obtained at close intervals in Mach number in the range 1.30 < M < 1.55. In addition holographic interferometric photographs and spark shadowgraph photographs of the flow are presented at all the test Mach numbers. The numerical studies are based on solutions of the Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equations in conjuction with a number of turbulence models. Density contours from these numerical solutions are compared with the interference fringes and the best turbulence models are then used to examine physical features of the interaction. The combined experimental and numerical results are used to build up a complete description of the flow development from attached flow at M = 1.30 to fully separated flow at M = 1.55.