Linearly combined transition model based on empirical spot growth correlations

Abstract

The transition from laminar to turbulent flow in a hypersonic boundary layer is modeled using an intermittency-based linear combination approach. A simplified transition model like this enables a quick assessment of aero-thermal loads and the overall flight efficiency of high-speed vehicles during the initial design phase by weighting purely laminar and turbulent flow results on the basis of an empirically calculated intermittency. The transition model presented within this work includes an empirical model to account for Mach number, Reynolds number, wall temperature and pressure gradient effects on turbulent spot growth based on available turbulent spot studies in the literature. A validation of the transition model is carried out for a number of different test cases and a methodology to extend the model to generic geometries is presented to enable a more general application.