Prediction of plateau and peak of pressure in a compression ramp flow with large separation

Abstract

Based on the Helmholtz-Rayleigh minimal dissipation theorem, a theoretical model is proposed to predict both the plateau and peak of pressure in a compression ramp flow with large separation (CRFLS). Since the total dissipation of CRFLS is mainly contributed by the shock waves, the steady flow pattern can be determined by minimizing the shock dissipation among all the possible configurations. The predictions agree well with both experimental data and numerical simulations, covering a wide range of free-stream Mach number and ramp angle. This method could be applied to other flow systems where the dissipation is dominated by shock waves.