Experiments on transonic flow around wedges

Author / Creator

Wood, George P., author

Available as

Online

Summary

Several aspects of transonic flow around the forward portions of wedge profiles were studied by means of interferometry. Measurements were made of the two kinds of flow pattern that occur at the le...

Several aspects of transonic flow around the forward portions of wedge profiles were studied by means of interferometry. Measurements were made of the two kinds of flow pattern that occur at the leading edge of a wedge at an angle of attack. The growth of the supersonic region at a sharp convex corner formed by two flat surfaces was observed. The pressure-drag coefficients of a wedge of 14.5 degrees semi-angle were measured at Mach numbers of 0.768, 0.819, and 0.854 and were shown to be consistent with those of wedges of smaller angle when plotted according to the transonic similarity law. Conditions at the bases of the shock waves that interacted with the boundary layers on the wedge were measured. The method of characteristics was used to calculate the flow behind an experimentally determined sonic line, and the calculated flow field was compared with the measured flow field. The accuracy in the location of the sonic line necessary to give correctly the pressure distribution on the surface behind it was determined.

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