Numerical modeling of three-dimensional separated flow at the initial section of a rectangular air inlet.

Basing on the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations and using the k-ω SST turbulence model, a numerical simulation of the supersonic flow in an air intake with an internal channel of a rectangular cross section was performed for the case when the shock wave generated by the inlet cowl interacted with the turbulent boundary layer on the inner surfaces of the channel. The three-dimensional configuration consisted of a convergent entrance section and a throat of a constant cross-sectional area is considered. Flow parameters at the entrance of the air intake were set taking into account the boundary layer developing on a pre-compression surface of an aircraft in front of the inlet. Two variants of the internal channel geometry were considered: firstly, when the lower surface of the channel was plane and, secondly, when this surface was arranged with longitudinal ribs. Numerical simulation of the three-dimensional flow was performed at the free-stream Mach number M = 4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]