A review of recent developments in the understanding of transonic shock buffet

Within a narrow band of flight conditions in the transonic regime, interactions between shock-waves and intermittently separated shear layers result in large amplitude, self-sustained shock oscillations. This phenomenon, known as transonic shock buffet, limits the flight envelope and is detrimental to both platform handling quality and structural integrity. The severity of this instability has incited a plethora of research to ascertain an underlying physical mechanism, and yet, with over six decades of investigation, aspects of this complex phenomenon remain inexplicable. To promote continual progress in the understanding of transonic shock buffet, this review presents a consolidation of recent investigations in the field. The paper begins with a conspectus of the seminal literature on shock-induced separation and modes of shock oscillation. The currently prevailing theories for the governing physics of transonic shock buffet are then detailed. This is followed by an overview of computational studies exploring the phenomenon, where the results of simulation are shown to be highly sensitive to the specific numerical methods employed. Wind tunnel investigations on two-dimensional aerofoils at shock buffet conditions are then outlined and the importance of these experiments for the development of physical models stressed. Research considering dynamic structural interactions in the presence of shock buffet is also highlighted, with a particular emphasis on the emergence of a frequency synchronisation phenomenon. An overview of three-dimensional buffet is provided next, where investigations suggest the governing mechanism may differ significantly from that of two-dimensional sections. Subsequently, a number of buffet suppression technologies are described and their efficacy in mitigating shock oscillations is assessed. To conclude, recommendations for the direction of future research efforts are given.