A study of supersonic flows involving boundary layers and shock-boundary layer interactions

• Grant number: 25/13174-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: October 01, 2025
• End date: September 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Aerospace Engineering - Aerodynamics
• Principal Investigator: William Roberto Wolf
• Grantee: Hugo Felippe da Silva Lui
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Engenharia Mecânica (FEM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 13/08293-7 - CCES - Center for Computational Engineering and Sciences, AP.CEPID

Abstract

Wall-resolved large eddy simulations (LES) will be employed to simulate supersonic flows over airfoils. This research will focus on investigating supersonic turbulent boundary layers and shock-boundary layer interactions (SBLIs) over curved surfaces. Specifically, we will examine the impact of favorable and adverse pressure gradients, as well as bulk dilatation and compression, on the turbulence statistics and coherent flow structures for both convex and concave curvatures. SBLIs will be analyzed for different flow conditions, where the Rankine-Hugoniot jump relations will be imposed as boundary conditions to generate shock waves. Aspects relevant for design of supersonic fluid machinery and supersonic inlets will also be studied, for example, those related to unsteady inflow conditions, which are important for understanding starting/unstarting analyses of supersonic internal flows. A distinguishing feature of this research, compared to typical studies on flat plates, is the use of airfoils with finite chords and trailing edges. This allows for a unique exploration of supersonic flow characteristics occurring at the trailing edges, which will also be a focus of our investigation. (AU)