Research on Scalelike Adaptive Suction Flow for Wide-Speed Range Hypersonic Inlets

As critical components of aircraft, hypersonic inlets utilize shock wave compression effects to pressurize incoming flow. The interaction between shock waves and the boundary layer tends to generate separation zones, and it adversely affects inlet performance. As a method to significantly enhance inlet performance, suction technology can substantially reduce the size of separation zones when they form in the inlet. However, when the inlet is started and operating normally, suction configurations may cause mainstream leakage and make it difficult to meet the requirements of inlets with wider speed ranges. This paper designs an adaptive scaliform suction structure that utilizes a lift-generating design to induce a slight upward deflection of high-speed near-wall flow. It can reduce high-speed mainstream leakage without compromising the effectiveness in low-speed separation zones. Numerical simulations are employed to evaluate its suction performance in both inlet separation zone flow fields and supersonic mainstream flow fields. The internal flow mechanisms of the scaliform suction structure are investigated, and differences in its behavior across various suction flow fields, as well as its interference with the mainstream, are discussed. The study reveals that when the height of the scaliform suction structure is approximately 1/8 of the incoming flow’s velocity boundary layer height, the suction flow coefficient in the separation zone is twice that in the hypersonic mainstream. Furthermore, the loss in Mach number and total pressure recovery coefficient of the near-wall supersonic mainstream is controlled within 5%. This structure exhibits an adaptive suction capability for separation zones, thereby extending the starting speed range of the inlet.