Experiments on shear layer mixing at hypervelocity conditions

Utilization of an expansion tube to acquire turbulent, compressible free shear layer data with gases of direct relevance to hypersonic combustion systems (nitrogen, hydrogen, and oxygen) is demonstrated. Visualizations of the free shear layer by laser holographic interferometry and schlieren imaging show a distinctly asymmetric growth rate that is highly preferential toward the lower speed (secondary stream) side. For the nitrogen/nitrogen case, for which the convective velocity was lowest and convective Mach number highest, the growth rate on the primary side was virtually zero until the mixing layer reached the opposite (secondary) wall.