(c)l999 American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics

Influence of Surface Roughness on the Mean and Turbulence Flow Properties of a

Supersonic Boundary Layer
Robert M. La&
U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology, Wright-Patterson AFB OH 45433-7765

Rodney D. W. Bowersoxn
The University ofAlabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0280

An experimental study of the influence of surface roughness on the mean and turbulent flow properties of a
high-speed (M = 2.9) high Reynolds number (Re/m = 1.9~10’) turbulent boundary layer flow was performed. Six
wall topologies including of a smooth and five rough surfaces consisting of three random sand-grain plates (k’ = 100,
400,570) and two uniformly machined plates (k = 0.559 mm for both) were tested. A confocal laser scan microscope
was used to accurately document the topography of the sand-grain plates. The experimental measurement
techniques included a conventional Pitot pressure probe, laser Doppler velocimetry, hot-wire anemometry, and
color schlieren photography. Mean flow measurements included profiles of velocity, Mach number and mass flux.
The mean flow defects were found to scale with local mean values, and the incompressible defect law held for the
present data. Turbulence measurements included profiles of velocity and mass flux turbulence intensities, kinematic
Reynolds shear stress, compressible Reynolds shear stress and the traverse apparent mass flux. Kinematic
turbulent flow statistical properties were found to scale by local mean quantities and displayed a weak dependence
on surface roughness topography. Turbulent flow statistical properties with the explicit appearance of density did
not scale by local mean quantities, and had a strong linear dependence on roughness height.

Nomenclature 1
= Reynolds fluctuation
k = roughness height - = Reynolds mean component
k+ = roughness Reynolds number II = Favre fluctuation
M = Mach number
P = pressure Introduction
Re = Reynolds number Supersonic viscous boundary layers are responsible
T = Temperature for skin friction drag, convective heat transfer, and mass
U = mean Favre axial velocity transfer over high-speed aircraft, missiles, re-entry
u. v, w = velocity components vehicles, and propulsion systems. Surface roughness
u* = friction velocity increases these pragmatic quantities and greatly enhances
A Y, z = Cartesian coordinates transition from laminar to turbulent flow. Since all
Y+ = pwu *y/j.&’ manufactured components of these systems have some
A = mean component difference operator inherent surface roughness or through operation roughness
= boundary-layer thickness is generated, it is important to understand how surface
“s = displacement thickness roughness affects supersonic boundary layers in both a
e = momentum thickness qualitative and quantitative manner to enable better
a = roughness wavelength predictions and system designs.
For low-speed flow, the influence of surface
P = density
roughness has been reasonably well documented. l-6 From
= shear stress
these descriptions, surface roughness has been shown to
; = fluctuating component difference operator
have a direct affect on the inner region of the law of the
wall and is typically described by a single parameter;
Subscripts
namely the roughness Reynolds number k’. Nikuradse2
= boundary-layer edge condition
demonstrated that sand-grain generated roughness
L = kinematic
increased the velocity defect and skin friction and shifted
t = total condition
the logarithmic region of the law of the wall downward.
S = equivalent sand-grain roughness
The amount of downward shift was shown to be a function
W = wall
of k’. Schhchting’ introduced the concept of equivalent
sand-grain roughness k, to correlate any surface roughness
Superscripts
to the equivalent Nikuradse sand-grain roughness for
T = Turbulent

’ Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Aeronautics

and Astronautics. Member AIAA.
’ Assistant Professor, Department of Aerospace Engineering
and Mechanics. Senior Member AL4A.
This paper is declared a work of the U. S. Government
and is not subject to copyright protection In the United States