Correlations for Mean Properties of Turbulent Supersonic Flow over an Insulated Flat Plate

The turbulent skin-friction theory of van Driest II (involving transformation to incompressible flow) is employed to calculate the local and mean friction coefficients. A wall-wake velocity profile is proposed and employed in the numerical evaluation of the displacement and boundary-layer thicknesses. The proposed velocity profile is shown to be successful in a realistic representation of a compressible boundary layer for given Mach and Reynolds numbers. Values of the calculated variables are compared with existing correlations and experimental/computational data reported in the literature. A two-stage regression analysis is applied to the predicted data to obtain expressions for the streamwise variations of the mean flow properties as functions of the Reynolds and Mach numbers. Explicit correlations for the local and mean friction coefficients, displacement, momentum, and boundary-layer thicknesses are presented for air flow in the Mach number range from 2 to 7 and the Reynolds number range from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text]. In contrast to the laminar flow case, the thickness of the turbulent boundary layer depends weakly on the Mach number.