Experimental investigation of the distorted flow field in a new type of direct-connect facility for scramjet studies

A supersonic distorted flow field generated by a new type of direct-connect facility at Mach 2.1 is investigated experimentally via particle image velocimetry (PIV). This facility is designed to accurately reproduce the real flow field in scramjet especially the flow distortion within the isolator, while avoiding the unstart problem in traditional direct-connect facility. The time-averaged velocity fields reveal the principle of flow distortion generated by this facility and show the detailed flow field structures. The mean results suggest that the choose of target parameters distribution will directly affect the performance of this facility. Then, the distorted flow fields in the isolator with a specific non-uniform incoming flow condition are investigated in detail, with the method of proper orthogonal decomposition (POD). The POD analysis of the fluctuating velocity fields finds that there are complex flow field structures within the isolator, including the large-scale vortex structure and the small-scale structure near the wall surface. And these structures in the eigenmodes are associated with the shock wave and the low-velocity region close to the wall surface. Meanwhile, the distorted main flow is also considered to contribute to the flow field instability. Finally, according to the analysis results, the practical guidance of this new type of direct-connect facility is proposed for the subsequent experimental research about scramjet.(c) 2023 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.