Turbulent Boundary-Layer Development on a Two-Dimensional Aerofoil with Supercritical Flow at low Reynolds Number

Detailed measurements have been made of the boundary-layer development on a small two-dimensional aerofoil with supercritical flow and a weak shock wave, together with similar measurements on the tunnel side wall opposite the aerofoil surface. The Reynolds number of the test is similar to that found in the turbines of jet engines and there is a strong favourable pressure gradient ahead of the interaction of the shock with the boundary layer as often occurs in turbine blade passages. However, whereas the boundary layer on the aerofoil is thin and of the same thickness as that on a turbine blade, the thicker boundary layer on the wall is more typical of that on the hub or casing. The experimental results are compared with results from a wide range of calculation methods. One interesting conclusion from these comparisons is the fact that prediction methods which perform well for the thin boundary layers on the aerofoil do not necessarily perform as well for the thicker boundary layers on the wall.