Numerical investigation of shock wave reflections in steady flows

To better understand the shock wave reflection phenomenon in steady flows in general, and the transition between regular reflection and Mach reflection in particular, a two-dimensional flowfield model and simulation over a wedge in supersonic flows was investigated. The numerical simulation enabled one to determine the height of the Mach stem in a Mach reflection wave configuration. The determination of the height was pointed out as one of the yet unsolved problems in steady shock wave reflections. The numerical results were compared both with steady flow experiments performed at nominal freestream flow Mach numbers ranging from 2.8 to 5 and with analytical results. Based on the presented numerical investigation, a new geometric parameter that controls the transition between regular reflection and Mach reflection wave configurations was extracted for the flow Mach number range 2.8-7.