Calculation of boundary-layer development using the turbulent energy equation: compressible flow on adiabatic walls

The basic method described by Bradshaw, Ferriss & Atwell (1967) is extended to compressible flow in two-dimensional boundary layers in arbitrary pressure gradient (excluding shock waves and expansion fans) by invoking Morkovin's hypothesis (Favre 1964) that the turbulence structure is unaffected by compressibility. Using the same empirical functions as in incompressible flow, skin friction in zero pressure gradient is predicted to within 3% of Spalding & Chi's (1964) correlation for free-stream Mach numbers less than 5. Comparisons with experiments in pressure gradient are restricted by the lack of data, but, since Morkovin's hypothesis does not depend on pressure gradient, methods which use it (of which the present method seems to be the first) can be checked fairly adequately by comparisons with data in zero pressure gradient. No ‘compressibility transformations’ are needed, although the Crocco relation is used, provisionally, for the temperature: since the calculations take only about 20% longer than in incompressible flow, Morkovin's hypothesis does as much as any transformation could do. It is pointed out that, in supersonic flow, surface curvature which is large enough to induce a significant longitudinal pressure gradient is also large enough to have a very significant effect on the turbulence structure.