Simulation of underexpanded supersonic jet flows with chemical reactions

To achieve a detailed understanding of underexpanded supersonic jet structures influenced by afterburning and other flow conditions, the underexpanded turbulent supersonic jet with and without combustions are investigated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. A program based on a total variation diminishing (TVD) methodology capable of predicting complex shocks is created to solve the axisymmetric expanded Navier–Stokes equations containing transport equations of species. The finite-rate ratio model is employed to handle species sources in chemical reactions. CFD solutions indicate that the structure of underexpanded jet is typically influenced by the pressure ratio and afterburning. The shock reflection distance and maximum value of Mach number in the first shock cell increase with pressure ratio. Chemical reactions for the rocket exhaust mostly exist in the mixing layer of supersonic jet flows. This tends to reduce the intensity of shocks existing in the jet, responding to the variation of thermal parameters.