In the aerodynamic study, the vehicle is subjected to several types of flows. The major flow classification are as follows:
- Continuum and Non-Continuum flows
- Steady and Unsteady flows
- Uniform and Non-uniform flows
- Incompressible and compressible flows
- Inviscid and Viscous flows
- Laminar and Turbulent flows
- Mach No. flow regimes
(a) Very-low speed Subsonic (b) Subsonic (c) Transonic (d) Supersonic (d) Hypersonic
The impingement of shock on the boundary layer(BL) gives rise to an adverse pressure gradient on the BL. At this Shock-BL interaction (SBLI) at high Mach number, the dissociation of air at high temperature starts to dominate the flow and this flow regime is referred to as the Hypersonic flow regime. ( Usually M >5).
Supersonic Flow (1.2<M<5)