Visualization of supersonic flow over a rotating blunt cylinder at a high angle of attack

The experimental study of supersonic flow over a spherically blunt cylinder with a spin rate of 600 rpm is reported concerning the characteristics of the vortex structures. Experiments are conducted in a Mach 3.0 wind tunnel, and the nano-tracer planar laser scattering technique is used to visualize the flow patterns at 20° AOA. The spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of the vortex structures are captured. The asymmetry characteristics in the wake flow are analyzed from the perspective of the flow structures in both the streamwise and transverse plane. It is found that the rotation influences the pattern of the wake and distribution of the vortex structures. Fractal analysis is done on the flow field on the leeward side, indicating that the rotation model tends to have a larger fractal dimension.