Synergistic Control of Supersonic Jet Flows: Numerical Investigation of Multiple Protuberance and Coanda Effect Integration

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors
1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, ST. C., Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
2 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Na.C., Islamic Azad University, Najafabad, Iran
Abstract
This study numerically investigates transonic jet control in a rectangular nozzle with Mach (M) = 1 at the throat, issuing at Nozzle Pressure Ratio (NPR = P0/Pa) = 2.5 (P0 = 210 kPa, Pa = 84 kPa, T = 300 K; fully expanded M ≈ 1.22). A two-dimensional steady RANS framework (SST k–ω, density-based implicit solver, Roe flux; CFL ramp 0.5 → 2) is employed in a 100 × 75 throat-based domain with adiabatic no-slip walls and a hybrid mesh (≈ 2.3 – 2.5×105 elements). We vary the number, placement (throat and/or Coanda flaps), and penetration depth (Pen.) of protuberances. With two protuberances (throat + flap), the system exhibits discrete deflection plateaus: Deflection Angle (DA) ≈ 35 – 37° (flap slot 22.5°) and DA ≈ 68 – 75° (slots 7.5° or 37.5°), with resultant-force ratio (FR/FR0) ≈ 0.95 – 0.99. Introducing a third protuberance enables intermediate deflections (e.g., DA ≈ 51°, −5° to −21°) at FR/FR0 ≈ 0.86 – 0.89 (efficiency trade-off). Removing the throat protuberance while retaining two flap-mounted elements yields DA ≈ 6.5° at near-zero loss (FR/FR0 ≈ 1.0). Overall, across the explored layouts, DA spans −21° to 75° while FR/FR0 spans 0.86 – 1.0, quantifying how strategic multi-protuberance layouts expand the deflection spectrum beyond binary attachment/detachment and clarify efficiency trade-offs for integrated protuberance–Coanda control at NPR = 2.5.
Keywords
Subjects

Publisher’s Note Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

[1] Hahn, P.V., The influence of a three-dimensional protuberance and surface curvature on wall pressure fluctuation in a supersonic flow, The University of Alabama in Huntsville; 2012.
[2] Bertin, J.J., Cummings RM. Fifty years of hypersonics: where we've been, where we're going, Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 39(6-7), 2003, 511-36.
[3] Raman, G., Advances in understanding supersonic jet screech: review and perspective, Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 34(1-2), 1998, 45-106.
[4] Sun, Y., Smith, H., Review and prospect of supersonic business jet design, Progress in Aerospace Sciences, 90, 2017, 12-38.
[5] Afridi, S., Khan, T.A., Shah, S.I.A., Shams, T.A., Mohiuddin, K., Kukulka, D.J., Techniques of Fluidic Thrust Vectoring in Jet Engine Nozzles: A Review, Energies, 16(15), 2023, 5721.
[6] Cîrciu, I., Dinea, S., Review of applications on Coandã effect. History, theories, new trends, Review of the Air Force Academy, 2010(2), 2010, 14.
[7] Sedney, R., A survey of the effects of small protuberances on boundary-layer flows, AIAA Journal, 11(6), 1973, 782-92.
[8] Sedney, R., Kitchens Jr, C.W., Separation ahead of protuberances in supersonic turbulent boundary layers, AIAA Journal, 15(4), 1977, 546-52.
[9] Zahir, S., Baig, A., Ahmed, A., Ye, Z., The Effects of Protuberances on Interactive Supersonic Flowfield through CD-Nozzle, 24th AIAA Applied Aerodynamics Conference, 2006, 3327.
[10] Bell, M., Watterson, J., Lisk, D., A numerical study into a local protuberance interaction with a fin on a supersonic projectile, 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition, 2009, 1092.
[11] Stephen, E.J., Huynh, K., Kwakenat, A., McCartney, E., Decker, R., McLaughlin, T.E., Effects of Surface Curvature on Flow Interactions of Small Cylindrical Protuberances and the Supersonic Turbulent Boundary Layer, 44th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference, 2014, 3079.
[12] Bhardwaj, S., Hemanth Chandra Vamsi, K., Sriram, R., On the scaling of three-dimensional shock-induced separated flow due to protuberances, Physics of Fluids, 34(7), 2022, 076115.
[13] Stephen, E.J., O'Connell, S., Bertrand, W., McLaughlin, T.E., Effects of the presence of control fins on the flow around cylindrical protuberances in supersonic crossflow, 2018 AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting, 2018, 1514.
[14] Larin, M., Marichalar, J., Kinder, G., Campbell, C., Riccio, J., Nguyen, T., et al., Boundary Layer Transition Protuberance Tests at NASA JSC Arc-Jet Facility, 48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition, 2010, 1578.
[15] Manokaran, K., Vidya, G., Goyal, V.K., CFD simulation of flowfield over a large protuberance on a flat plate at high supersonic Mach number, 41st Aerospace Sciences Meeting and Exhibit, 2003, 1253.
[16] Hojaji, M., Eydizadeh, M., Soufivand, M., D’Orazio, A., Hosseini, S.A., Karimipour, A., et al., Cylindrical protuberance’s effect on supersonic jet’s flow control: Unveiling protuberance penetration and position on jet deflection through comprehensive turbulence simulation, Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 16(7), 2025, 103399.
[17] Lee, M., Song, M., Kim, D., Lee, Y., Bidirectional Thrust Vectoring Control of a Rectangular Sonic Jet, AIAA Journal, 56(6), 2018, 2494-2498.
[18] Soufivand, M., Hojaji, M., Ghafouri, S., D’Orazio, A., Siabidzade, M.A., Karimipour, A., Performance evaluation, sensitivity analysis, and mitigating instabilities of Coanda effect-based flow control for a transonic jet: The investigation of shock effects, Ain Shams Engineering Journal, 16(6), 2025, 103381.
[19] Soufivand, M.R., Hojaji, M., Dehkordi, M.H.R., Protuberance placement mastery: Shock wave control integration with Coanda effect to thrust vectoring on a sonic jet, Engineering Analysis with Boundary Elements, 166, 2024, 105769.
[20] Salehifar, M., Tahani, M., Hojaji, M., Dartoomian, A., CFD modeling for flow field characterization and performance analysis of HGITVC, Applied Thermal Engineering, 103, 2016, 291-304.
[21] Hellsten, A., Some improvements in Menter's k-omega SST turbulence model, 29th AIAA, Fluid Dynamics Conference, 1998, 2554.
[22] Kannan, B., Karthikeyan, S., Sundararaj, S., Comparison of turbulence models in simulating axisymmetric jet flow, Innovative Design and Development Practices in Aerospace and Automotive Engineering: I-DAD, 2016, 401-7.
[23] Bulat, M.P., Bulat, P.V., Tian, C., Lu, Y., Goldberg, U., Peroomian, O., et al., Comparison of turbulence models in the calculation of supersonic separated flows, World Applied Sciences Journal, 27(10), 2013, 1263-1266.
[24] Sharafi, A., Mokhtari, D., Experimental Study of Effect of Obstacle Presence and its Geometry on Thrust Vector and Outlet Jet in a Convergent-Divergent Micro Nozzle, Modares Mechanical Engineering, 20(5), 2020, 1211-1221.