Structure of Turbulence in a Normal Shock/Boundary Layer Interaction
Fundamental survey of structural eddy changes in the vicinity of an isolated normal shock
This project investigates the structural change to wall bounded turbulence as it passes beneath a single, normal shock wave. It is commonly observed that turbulent statistics are altered in the vicinity of shock waves. These variations are inherently due to a change in the near wall dynamics, i.e., the actual turbulent structures themselves must change if the measure turbulent statistics are to change as well. However, this connection is rarely discussed in complex wall bounded flows, and it is the purview of this work to illuminate the nature of these structural changes.
A single normal shock impinging on a turbulent boundary layer. Coherent turbulent structures, identified by an iso-surface of the velocity vector Q-criterion, are easily identifiable in the image. Furthermore, these structures undergo fundamental changes as an adverse pressure gradient acts on them as they convect beneath the shock wave.