Film-Cooling Effectiveness and Skin Friction in Hypersonic Turbulent Flow

Experimental equilibrium temperatures and skin friction at the surface of a flat plate cooled by two-dimensional, tangential slot injection are presented for a Mach 6 mainstream. Effects of slot height, slot mass-flow rate, injection gas temperature, and heat conduction to the slot are investigated. Experimental skin friction and effectiveness data in general agree well with predictions from a finite-difference method. Film cooling at Mach 6 was found significantly more effective than at lower speeds, with large reductions in friction drag measured downstream of the slot These results indicate the necessity for a new evaluation of film-cooling systems for hypersonic vehicles.