A numerical solution of the supersonic flow over a rearward facing step with transverse non-reacting hydrogen injection

The present investigation represents an application of computational fluid dynamics to a problem associated with the flow in the combustor region of a supersonic combustion ramjet engine (scramjet). The governing equations are considered, taking into account the Navier-Stokes equations, a molecular viscosity calculation, the molecular thermal conductivity, molecular diffusion, and a turbulence model. The employed numerical solution is patterned after the explicit, time-dependent, unsplit, predictor-corrector, finite-difference method given by MacCormack (1969). The calculation is concerned with the supersonic flow over a rearward-facing step with transverse H2 injection at conditions germane to the combustor region of a scramjet engine. The H2 jet acts as an effective body which essentially shields the primary flow from the rearward-facing step, thus substantially changing the wave pattern in the primary flow.