Shock tunnel studies on cowl/ramp shock interactions in a generic scramjet inlet

Abstract

An experimental study is presented to show the effect of contraction ratio (CR) on shock interaction phenomena for a two-dimensional, planar scramjet inlet model. Experiments are conducted in a hypersonic shock tunnel, at Mach 8, at three CRs: 8.4, 5.0, and 4.3. CR here is defined as the ratio of the projected inlet area to the throat area. Investigations include Schlieren flow visualization around the cowl region and heat transfer rate measurement inside the inlet chamber. Various ramp/cowl shock interaction processes ahead of the inlet have been visualized using a high-speed camera. Edney type II interference pattern is observed for a CR of 4.3 with all its typical features resulting because of the forebody shock/cowl shock interaction. Peaks in the heat transfer rate measured inside the chamber show possible locations of shock impingement because of the shock interaction inside the inlet.