Numerical and experimental examination of shock control bump flow physics

Abstract

A method allowing a detailed investigation of the flow physics of shock control bumps (SCBs) on an unswept airfoil has been developed by comparison of the results of experiments and computations. A simple wind tunnel set-up is proposed which is shown to generate representative baseline conditions, allowing fine details of the flow to be measured using an array of techniques. Computational data for the same bump configuration is then validated against the experimental results, allowing a more intimate analysis of the flow physics as well as relating wind tunnel results to the performance of the SCB on an unswept wing. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2013