Comparative study of turbulent characteristics and aerodynamic heat in hypersonic compression corner shock-wave/turbulent boundary-layer interactions

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) are performed to investigate hypersonic shock-wave/turbulent boundary-layer interactions (STBLIs) over two compression corner configurations: a sharp corner with a geometric discontinuity and a curved corner with a smooth wall transition. The simulations are conducted at a free-stream Mach number of 6 and a Reynolds number based on momentum thickness of 3810, under a cold-wall condition with a wall-to-recovery temperature ratio of 0.5. The effects of geometric configuration on the interaction patterns, the evolution of wall characteristic parameters, and the near-wall vortex structures are examined. Based on the enthalpy transport equation and aerodynamic heat budget analysis, the underlying mechanisms governing the generation and transport of aerodynamic heat are elucidated. The generation of aerodynamic heat is primarily governed by compression work and viscous dissipation. The unsteady motion of the shock wave serves as the dominant source of compression work, while in cases where geometric discontinuity induces flow separation, the mean motion of the separated shear layer also contributes to the mean compression work. Regarding viscous dissipation, unsteady motions associated with flow separation and the near-wall Görtler vortices, the latter being induced by the separation streamline and the concave wall geometry, form concentrated regions of turbulent viscous dissipation. In contrast, the mean viscous dissipation arises predominantly within the incoming boundary layer and near the shock wave. In compression corner flows, the generation and transport of aerodynamic heat are dominated by distinct physical mechanisms in different regions. The undisturbed incoming boundary layer, the separation zone, the reattachment region downstream of the main shock, and the concave wall surface are each characterized by their own primary influencing factors. The observed differences in the streamwise distributions of skin friction and heat flux coefficients between the two configurations are a direct consequence of these regional variations in the dominant flow physics.