Reattachment of a Compressible Turbulent Free Shear Layer

Abstract

An experimental study is described in which a two-dimensional free turbulent shear layer at Mach 2.92 and a high Reynolds number is reattached to an inclined surface. The test geometry is designed specifically to create an undisturbed free shear layer which forms a well-defined initial condition for the reattachment process. Detailed flowfield surveys were made with mean pressure probes and the hot-wire anemometer. The results indicate that the free shear layer reached an equilibrium condition in terms of mean profile similarity, and support previous conclusions that flow reattachment may be correlated in terms of the free interaction concept. The redeveloping turbulent boundary layer downstream of reattachment shows an extremely rapid recovery which seems to proceed along a path of local equilibrium.