Numerical study of a sonic jet in a supersonic crossflow over a flat plate

A sonic circular injector discharging into a Mach 1.6 freestream over a flat plate with a jet to crossflow momentum flux ratio of 1.73 is investigated numerically using a three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equation. Menter's shear stress transport k-omega turbulence model is employed to understand the complex flow features associated with jet-freestream interaction. The validation of the numerical solution is achieved by comparing the velocity and flat plate surface pressure measurements from the experiments, and the numerical solution shows good agreement with the experimental data. The present work emphasizes the flow field studies that include the identification of shocks, recirculation zones, and vortex structures. The Omega (Omega) vortex visualization method is employed for identifying the vortex structures. Comparison with high Mach number freestream conditions (M-infinity = 2 and 4) shows that the vortex structures remain the same, irrespective of the freestream Mach number. A close analysis of the jet near-field shows several new vortex structures, including a secondary surface trailing vortex. The formation of each of these vortices lacks clarity to date. Considering the complex three-dimensional nature of the flow field, an attempt has been made to trace the formation of the vortex structures associated with a jet in supersonic crossflow.