Feasibility of an innovative buzz detection technique through measuring the static pressure outside a mixed-compression supersonic inlet is studied. The buzz is an instability phenomenon that occurs almost in all supersonic inlets. During the buzz, shock oscillation along with pressure and mass flow fluctuations affects the performance characteristics of the inlet. The main objective of this paper is to introduce a simple and easy-to-implement method for investigation of the buzz phenomenon in a supersonic inlet. The experimental data for far field-based are compared with those of the model-based one at free stream Mach numbers of 1.8, 2.0, and 2.2 and at zero degrees angle of attack for a mixed-compression inlet. The results show that this technique can measure exact value of buzz frequency as well as its onset. The present method uses pressure data obtained from the wind-tunnel wall instead of measuring the pressure inside or on the model surfaces which in most cases is very hard. However, to sense flow oscillations, caused by the buzz onset the sensors on the wind-tunnel wall must be located downstream of the point where the oblique shock from the spike impinges on the tunnel wall. The location of the measurement point as well as the distance between the sensor and the origin of the shock wave system are very important.@en

Effects of various boundary-layer bleed locations on the stability of an axisymmetric supersonic inlet has been investigated experimentally. The bleeds were located on the inlet compression cone and were designed to improve the stability margin of the inlet. The main objective of the study was to identify the boundary-layer bleed location and its effects on the improvement of the stability margin of the inlet. In addition, a buzz precursor detection methodology based on the rms level has been introduced. Experiments have been carried out on a mixed-compression inlet with a design Mach number of 2.0 and three different bleed locations at three freestream Mach numbers of 1.8, 2.0, and 2.2. All tests were conducted at an angle of attack of 0 deg. The results show that, based on the individual design of an inlet, a location can be found that the spilled normal shock stands at this location and consequently separation starts at the buzz onset. If the bleed slot is located in this place, the subcritical performance and stability margin of the inlet can be enhanced.@en

Experiments were conducted to study various kinds of shock wave/boundary layer interaction (SBLI) in an axisymmetric mixed-compression inlet. Further, some of the experimental findings were compared and verified by numerical solutions where possible. A classification of different types of SBLI relevant to the mixed-compression inlets is performed. Interactions of expelled normal shock wave/boundary-layer at subcritical and at buzz condition is investigated using Schlieren and shadowgraph flow visualization as well as unsteady pressure recordings. The data is further compared with the CFD prediction. Interactions of cowl lip reflected oblique shock and the terminal normal shock with the spike boundary-layer at both critical and supercritical operations that leads to shock trains and pseudo-shock phenomena are also studied. In this case numerical simulation results were used to illustrate the flow field. Experimental pressure recordings are used for validation and further discussion. The structure of SBLI flow in an inlet depends highly on the throttling value. For near critical throttling values, interaction of internal compression oblique shocks with boundary-layer and pseudo-shock phenomenon is dominant. Increasing the inlet back pressure pushes normal shock wave out of the inlet duct. Formation of lambda shock due to interaction of separated boundary-layer with normal shock wave is also investigated. The numerical and experimental results show that there exist different kinds of shock wave boundary-layer interactions relevant to the supersonic inlets. Each of these flow interaction phenomena has different effects on the stability and on the performance of the inlet. Interaction of terminal normal shock with internal duct boundary-layer causes pseudo-shock phenomenon that leads to increase of flow distortion and reduction of total pressure recovery. In addition interaction of normal shock wave with external cone boundary-layer causes buzz instability and degrades inlet performance.@en

The performance of a supersonic mixed compression air intake has been investigated experimentally. The intake is of axisymmetric one and has been designed for a free stream Mach number of 2.0. The present work has two main goals, first to investigate the performance of the intake without boundary layer bleed at design and at off-design conditions and second to study the effects of a bleed slot on the intake performance. The intake has been tested at free stream Mach numbers of 1.8, 2.0, and 2.2 and at zero degrees angle of attack. Total pressure recovery, mass flow ratio, and flow distortion have been selected to assess the intake performance. The bleed slot is located upstream of the intake throat perpendicular to the compression ramp surface. The suction is applied by the natural pressure difference between the entrance and the exit faces of the bleed duct. Results show that applying the boundary layer suction upstream of the intake throat can considerably improve the intake performance at its design and off-design conditions while it does not affect the intake mass flow rate.@en