Stability of hypersonic flow over a curved compression ramp

Abstract In this work, the stability of hypersonic flow over a curved compression ramp is studied using several stability analysis tools and direct numerical simulations (DNS). The free-stream Mach number and the unit Reynolds number are 7.7 and $4.2 \times 10^6$ m$^{-1}$, respectively. Corner rounding is considered to alter the separation bubble flow so as to suppress the intrinsic instability of the compression-ramp flow. The variation of intrinsic instability is confirmed by global stability analysis. Subsequently, resolvent analysis is employed to examine the response of intrinsically stable flows to external disturbances. It is shown that the considered flows strongly amplify low-frequency streamwise streaks with a preferential spanwise wavelength. This result is verified using DNS by introducing a random forcing upstream of the separation point. Furthermore, both resolvent analysis and DNS demonstrate that the separation bubble contributes little to the selection of the spanwise wavelength of streamwise streaks. The combined effects of convective and intrinsic instabilities are also explored using DNS. A better agreement with experimental data is achieved after introducing upstream disturbances in an inherently unstable flow.