An experimental study of buzz instability in an axisymmetric supersonic inlet

An experimental study was carried out on an axisymmetric supersonic inlet with external compression. The scope of this study was to investigate the general characteristics of the inlet buzz under various design and off-design conditions. The model was equipped with accurate and high frequency pressure sensors and the tests were conducted at Mach numbers varying from 1.8 to 2.5, at various angles of attack, and at different mass flow rates. Shadowgraph flow visualization, together with a high speed camera, was used to capture the external shock structure in front of the inlet. Frequencies of buzz were obtained from both the shadowgraph pictures and analysis of the pressure data. The amplitude of the shock wave motion was measured from the visualization pictures, too. The results show that for low mass flow rates, buzz frequency is almost independent of Mach number, while at a higher mass flow rate, the frequency of the shock oscillation increases with Mach number. Further, for each free stream Mach number, as the mass flow rate decreased, the amplitude of the shock movement grew, but its frequency decreased.