arXiv subjects

Christoph Brehm

Publications and source records attributed to Christoph Brehm.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Phonon-mediated stabilization of first and second modes in hypersonic boundary-layer flows

Laminar-to-turbulent transition delay is a key challenge in hypersonic boundary-layer flows. Unstable disturbances-most prominently the first and second modes-trigger the onset of turbulence and pose a fundamental technological barrier to hypersonic transport. While existing control strategies target the second mode, simultaneous mitigation of the first mode has long appeared physically impossible. A new flow-control concept is introduced in which phase relations between wall pressure and velocity fluctuations are tailored using subsurface phonon engineering to control both modes concurrently. The outcome is substantial drag reduction and alleviation of the extreme thermal loads associated with turbulence.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2026

Distributed Roughness-Induced Transition on a Blunt Body at Mach 6: a Numerical Investigation

Surface roughness significantly impacts transition to turbulence, especially over high-speed, blunt geometries where surface ablation is necessary to mitigate heat loads during atmospheric entry. Inspired by sand-grain roughness experiments performed by Hollis (2017), we perform the first direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a blunt cylinder in Mach 6 cross-flow with roughness elements distributed along the entire surface. Such simulations aimed to uncover the precise means by which laminar-turbulent transition occurs given the limited measurements attainable from experiments and non-existent high-fidelity simulations. Element heights were held fixed at approximately 35% boundary layer thickness, while the relative phasing between streamwise rows was varied. All configurations exhibited convective instabilities driving the transition process, with the mode type being set by the roughness configuration. A fundamental sinuous streak mode dominated the aligned roughness element case, whereas both the staggered and randomly phased cases saw 2D T-S waves dominating. These instability waves, when grown to sufficient amplitude, triggered the steady streaks seeded by the underlying roughness pattern to begin forming hairpin vortices and breakdown occurred soon thereafter. The roughness arrangement was found to dramatically influence the degree to which the waves were destabilised, as well as the strength of the underlying steady streaks, thereby combining to dictate the position along the surface where LTT occurred. Finally, exogeneous forcing was not required for the T-S dominated cases as the acoustics generated by the turbulence in the subsonic flow excited T-S waves on the other side - a feedback mechanism hitherto unknown.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2025

Super resonance: Breaking the bandwidth limit of resonant modes and its application to flow control

We report the discovery of super resonance--a new regime of resonant behavior in which a mode's out-of-phase response persists far beyond its classical bandwidth. This effect emerges from a coiled phononic structure composed of a locally resonant elastic metamaterial and architected to support multiple internal energy pathways. These pathways converge at a single structural location, enabling extended modal dominance and significantly broadening the frequency range over which a resonant phase is sustained. We demonstrate by direct numerical simulations the implications of this mechanism in the context of flow instability control, where current approaches are inherently constrained by the characteristically narrow spectral bandwidth of conventional resonances. Using a super-resonant phononic subsurface structure interfacing with a channel flow, we show passive simultaneous suppression of four unstable flow perturbations across a frequency range more than five times wider than that is achievable with a standard resonance in an equivalent uncoiled structure. By enabling broadband, passive control of flow instabilities, super resonance overcomes a longstanding limitation in laminar flow control strategies. More broadly, it introduces a powerful new tool for phase-engineered wave-matter interaction. The ability to preserve out-of-phase modal response across wide spectral ranges establishes a fundamental advance in the physics of resonance, with far-reaching implications for suppressing fully developed turbulent flows and beyond.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2023

Linear Analysis of Boundary-Layer Instabilities on a Finned-Cone at Mach 6

Boundary-layer instabilities for a finned cone at Mach=6, $Re=8.4 \times 10^6$ [m$^{-1}$], and zero incidence angle are examined using linear stability methods of varying fidelity and maturity, following earlier analysis presented in [doi.org/10.2514/6.2022-3247]. The geometry and laminar flow conditions correspond to experiments conducted at the Boeing Air Force Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel (BAM6QT) at Purdue University. Where possible, a common mean flow is utilized among the stability computations, and comparisons are made along the acreage of the cone where transition is first observed in the experiment. Stability results utilizing Linear Stability Theory (LST), planar Parabolized Stability Equations (planar-PSE), One-Way Navier Stokes (OWNS), forced direct numerical simulation (DNS), and Adaptive Mesh Refinement Wavepacket Tracking (AMR-WPT) are presented. A dominant three-dimensional vortex instability occurring at $\approx$ 250 kHz is identified that correlates well with experimental measurements of transition onset. With the exception of LST, all of the higher-fidelity linear methods considered in this work were consistent in predicting the initial growth and general structure of the vortex instability as it evolved downstream. Some of the challenges, opportunities, and development needs of the stability methods considered are discussed.

physics.flu-dyn↗