Effect of shock impingement location on the fluid–structure interactions over a compliant panel

An experimental investigation was carried out to study the fluid–structure interactions on a compliant panel subjected to an impinging shock wave and an incoming turbulent boundary layer. These experiments were aimed at understanding the time-averaged and unsteady characteristics of fluid–structure interaction at Mach 2. Two shock impingement locations on the panel (aspect ratio of 2.82), namely the central and three-fourths of the panel length, were tested. The shock boundary layer interactions on a rigid flat plate served as a baseline case. Measurements include shadowgraph and surface oil flow visualizations, panel deflections using a capacitance probe, cavity acoustics using a pressure sensor, surface pressures using discrete pressure sensors, and pressure-sensitive paints. Results show that the interaction on the compliant panel is relatively three-dimensional as compared to a rigid plate with a nominally two-dimensional interaction. Pressure fluctuations on the compliant panel are significantly higher than on the rigid plate, and the fluctuation spectra are multi-modal. Strong coupling at some frequencies was observed between the shock and the panel for both shock impingement locations. The present study suggests that for a compliant panel, the shape of pressure spectra is sensitive to the measurement location on the panel, the panel modifies the pressure distribution around the interaction, and the energy in dominant modes depends on the shock impingement location.