Effects of wedge roughness on Mach formation

A modified HULL hydrodynamic model was used to simulate shock reflection on wedges fitted with bumps representing varying degrees of roughness. The protuberances ranged from 0.02-0.2 cm in size. The study was directed at the feasibility of and techniques for defining parametric fits for surface roughness in the HULL code. Of interest was the self-similarity of the flows, so increasingly larger protuberances would simply enhance the resolution of the calculations. The code was designed for compressible, inviscid, nonconducting fluid flows. An equation of state provides closure and a finite difference algorithm is applied to solve governing equations for conservation of mass, momentum and energy. Self-similarity failed as the surface bumps grew larger and protruded further into the flowfield. It is noted that bumps spaced further apart produced greater interference for the passage of the Mach stem than did bumps placed closer together. 5 references