Supersonic vortex generator

A vortex generator for attenuating flow separation which occurs during supersonic flow of fluid in one direction over surfaces each having a leading edge and trailing edge portion of opposed nozzle components cooperating to form a part of the outlet of a jet propulsion unit, said vortex generator comprising:

• structure presenting a cavity in each of the components, said cavities being located below said surfaces of respective components downstream of the leading edges thereof and upstream of the points on the surfaces where flow separation would occur without said cavity,
• said cavities each being defined at least in part by elongated side wall means located in disposition with a major transverse axis thereof extending inwardly of a respective component from said surface thereof and thereby presenting an elongated margin joining a corresponding side wall means to a respective surface of the component,
• each of said side wall means further being positioned such that a longitudinal axis thereof and thereby corresponding margins are at an angle with respect to the flow of the fluid in said one direction across said surfaces of respective components;
• bottom wall means on each of the structures, connected to respective side wall means, and forming the bottom of corresponding cavities,
• said bottom wall of each cavity being positioned at an angle relative to respective surfaces causing the greatest depth of each cavity to be located in facing relationship to the fluid flow over the surfaces and for the trailing portion of respective bottom walls downstream of the fluid flow across each cavity to merge smoothly with corresponding surfaces upstream of said points on the surfaces,
• each of said angles being sufficient to cause fluid flowing across respective surfaces of the components from the leading edges thereof and over said margins to generate a corresponding spiral vortex trailing therefrom which attenuates said flow separation;
• and
• means for selectively shifting at least one of the components to alter the direction of the outgoing supersonic flow of fluid from the jet propulsion unit.

A vortex generator for attenuating flow separation which occur(s) during supersonic flow of fluid in one direction over surfaces each having a leading edge and trailing edge portion of opposed nozzle components cooperating to form a part of the outlet of a jet propulsion unit, said vortex generator comprising:

• structure presenting a cavity in each of the components, said cavities being located below said surfaces of respective components downstream of the leading edges thereof and upstream of the points on the surfaces where flow separation would occur without said cavity,
• said cavities each being defined at least in part by elongated side wall means located in disposition with a major transverse axis thereof extending inwardly of a respective component from said surface thereof and thereby presenting an elongated margin joining a corresponding side wall means to a respective surface of the component,
• each of said side wall means further being positioned such that a longitudinal axes thereof and thereby corresponding margins are at an angle with respect to the flow of the fluid in said one direction across said surfaces of respective components;
• and
• bottom wall means on each of the structures, connected to respective side wall means, and forming the bottom of corresponding cavities,
• said bottom wall of each cavity being positioned at an angle relative to respective surfaces causing the greatest depth of each cavity to be located in facing relationship to the fluid flow over the surfaces and for the trailing portion of respective bottom walls downstream of the fluid flow across each cavity to merge smoothly with corresponding surfaces upstream of said points on the surfaces,
• each of said angles being sufficient to cause fluid flowing across respective surfaces of the components from the leading edges thereof and over said margins to generate a corresponding spiral vortex trailing therefrom which attenuates said flow separation.

A vortex generator for attenuating flow separation which occur during supersonic flow of fluid in one direction over a surface having a leading edge and trailing edge portion of a nozzle component forming a part of the inlet of a jet propulsion unit, said vortex generator comprising:

• structure presenting a series of cavities in the component across the width thereof and each located below said surface thereof downstream of said leading edge and upstream of the point on the surface where flow separation would occur without said cavity,
• said cavities each being defined at least in part by elongated side wall means located in disposition with a major transverse axis thereof extending inwardly of the component from said surface and thereby presenting an elongated margin joining the side wall means to said surface of the component,
• each of said side wall means further being positioned such that a longitudinal axes thereof and thereby said margin are at an angle with respect to the flow of the fluid in said one direction across said surface of the component;
• and
• bottom wall means on the structure, connected to said side wall means, and forming the bottom of corresponding cavities,
• said bottom wall of each cavity being positioned at an angle relative to said surface causing the greatest depth of each cavity to be located in facing relationship to fluid flow over the surface and for the trailing portion of the bottom wall of each cavity downstream of the fluid flow across the cavities to merge smoothly with the surface upstream of said point on the surface,
• said angle being sufficient to cause fluid flowing across the surface of the component from the leading edge and over said margin to generate a spiral vortex trailing therefrom which attenuates said flow separation.

A vortex generator for attenuating flow separation which occurs during supersonic flow of fluid in one direction over the surface of a component from the leading edge of the component toward the trailing edge portion thereof, said vortex generator comprising:

• structure presenting a cavity in the component located below said surface thereof downstream of said leading edge and upstream of the point on the surface where flow separation would occur without said cavity,
• said cavity being defined at least in part by elongated side wall means located in disposition with a major transverse axis thereof extending inwardly of the component from said surface and thereby presenting an elongated margin joining the side wall means to said surface of the component,
• said side wall means further being positioned such that a longitudinal axis thereof and thereby said margin are at an angle with respect to the flow of the fluid in said one direction across said surface of the component;
• and
• bottom wall means on the structure, connected to said side wall means, and forming the bottom of the cavity,
• said bottom wall of the cavity being positioned at an angle relative to said surface causing the greatest depth of the cavity to be located in facing relationship to fluid flow over the surface and for the trailing portion of the bottom wall downstream of the fluid flow across the cavity to merge smoothly with the surface upstream of said point on the surface,
• said angle being sufficient to cause fluid flowing across the surface of the component from the leading edge and over said margin to generate a spiral vortex trailing therefrom which attenuates said flow separation.