Heat flux measurements of turbulent and transitional 3D shock-boundary layer interactions generated by a single fin on a flat plate

The three-dimensional shock wave boundary layer interaction in the vicinity of a single fin on a flat plate was investigated at Mach 3 and Mach 5 in the Rohrwindkanal Göttingen, a Ludwieg tube facility. Quantitative InfraRed Thermography (QIRT) was used to measure the spatial distribution of heat flux density in the interaction area on the flat plate. Under constant inflow conditions, the intensity of the generated shock wave could be precisely adjusted by aligning the shock generator. This made it possible to verify and refine the scaling laws for maximum heat loads induced along the attachment line in turbulent SWBLI. Further experiments on transitional shock-boundary layer interaction were used to investigate the quasiconical symmetry of the heat flux distribution, that emerge after adequate scaling. For this, a virtual, undisturbed boundary layer that starts at the leading edge of the fin is taken as reference. The maximum heat load depends on the initial boundary layer state at the separation location and can be linearly scaled, using only the transition onset and end location.