Experimental Investigation of a Complex Cavity Model with a Store at Supersonic Speeds

An experimental investigation targeting the effects of complex geometries on supersonic cavity flow is presented. Wind tunnel testing was performed at a nominal Mach number of 1.6 to acquire high-speed shadowgraph imagery, surface oil flow visualizations, and steady and dynamic pressure measurements in a rectangular cavity with a length-to-depth ratio of 4.5. The baseline geometry, consisting of a simple rectangular cavity, allows for the addition of cavity doors, a leading-edge spoiler, and a generic store model. The addition of doors caused profound changes to the baseline flow field and amplified the cavity resonance, partially due to reduced streamwise vorticity within the shear layer as a result of repositioning the sidewall vortices. In contrast, a spoiler placed at the cavity leading edge significantly disrupted the cavity resonance, primarily through the displacement of the shear layer reattachment location. The presence of a store within the cavity also served to decrease the aeroacoustic response of the cavity. Depending on the vertical position of the store, noise reductions may be attributed to blockage of the internal cavity volume, shear layer obstruction, disruption of coherent structure formation, stabilization effects from shockwaves, or a combination of these.