The e-N method is widely used in transition prediction. The amplitude growth rate used in the e-N method is usually provided by the linear stability theory （LST） based on the local parallel hypothesis. Considering the non-parallelism effect, the parabolized stability equation （PSE） method lacks local characteristic of stability analysis. In this paper, a local stability analysis method considering non-parallelism is proposed, termed as EPSE since it may be considered as an expansion of the PSE method. The EPSE considers variation of the shape function in the streamwise direction. Its local characteristic is convenient for stability analysis. This paper uses the EPSE in a strong non-parallel flow and mode exchange problem. The results agree well with the PSE and the direct numerical simulation （DNS）. In addition, it is found that the growth rate is related to the normalized method in the non-parallel flow. Different results can be obtained using different normalized methods. Therefore, the normalized method must be consistent.
The objective of receptivity is to investigate the mechanisms by which external disturbances generate unsta- ble waves. In hypersonic boundary layers, a new receptivity process is revealed, which is that fast and slow acoustics through nonlinear interaction can excite the second mode near the lower-branch of the second mode. They can generate a sum-frequency disturbance though nonlinear interaction, which can excite the second mode. This receptivity process is generated by the nonlinear interaction and the nonparal- lel nature of the boundary layer. The receptivity coefficient is sensitive to the wavenumber difference between the sumfrequency disturbance and the lower-branch second mode. When the wavenumber difference is zero, the receptivity coefficient is maximum. The receptivity coefficient decreases with the increase of the wavenumber difference. It is also found that the evolution of the sum-frequency disturbance grows linearly in the beginning. It indicates that the forced term generated by the sum-frequency disturbance resonates with the second mode.
Swept wing is widely used in civil aircraft,whose airfoil is chosen,designed and optimized to increase the cruise speed and decrease the drag coefficient.The parameters of swept wing,such as sweep angle and angle of attack,are determined according to the cruise lift coefficient requirement,and the drag coefficient is expected to be predicted accurately,which involves the instability characteristics and transition position of the flow.The pressure coefficient of the RAE2822 wing with given constant lift coefficient is obtained by solving the three-dimensional Navier-Stokes equation numerically,and then the mean flow is calculated by solving the boundary layer（BL） equation with spectral method.The cross-flow instability characteristic of boundary layer of swept wing in the windward and leeward is analyzed by linear stability theory（LST）,and the transition position is predicted by eNmethod.The drag coefficient is numerically predicted by introducing a laminar/turbulent indicator.A simple approach to calculate the lift coefficient of swept wing is proposed.It is found that there is a quantitative relationship between the angle of attack and sweep angle when the lift coefficient keeps constant;when the angle of attack is small,the flow on the leeward of the wing is stable.when the angle of attack is larger than 3°,the flow becomes unstable quickly;with the increase of sweep angle or angle of attack the disturbance on the windward becomes more unstable,leading to the moving forward of the transition position to the leading edge of the wing;the drag coefficient has two significant jumping growth due to the successive occurrence of transition in the windward and the leeward;the optimal range of sweep angle for civil aircraft is suggested.
An improved expansion of the parabolized stability equation(iEPSE) method is proposed for the accurate linear instability prediction in boundary layers. It is a local eigenvalue problem, and the streamwise wavenumber α and its streamwise gradient dα/dx are unknown variables. This eigenvalue problem is solved for the eigenvalue dα/dx with an initial α, and the correction of α is performed with the conservation relation used in the PSE. The i EPSE is validated in several compressible and incompressible boundary layers. The computational results show that the prediction accuracy of the i EPSE is significantly higher than that of the ESPE, and it is in excellent agreement with the PSE which is regarded as the baseline for comparison. In addition, the unphysical multiple eigenmode problem in the EPSE is solved by using the i EPSE. As a local non-parallel stability analysis tool, the i EPSE has great potential application in the eNtransition prediction in general three-dimensional boundary layers.
Due to its high computational efficiency and ability to consider nonparallel and nonlinear effects, nonlinear parabolized stability equations（NPSE） approach has been widely used to study the stability and transition mechanisms. However,it often diverges in hypersonic boundary layers when the amplitude of disturbance reaches a certain level. In this study, an improved algorithm for solving NPSE is developed. In this algorithm, the mean flow distortion is included into the linear operator instead of into the nonlinear forcing terms in NPSE. An under-relaxation factor for computing the nonlinear terms is introduced during the iteration process to guarantee the robustness of the algorithm. Two case studies, the nonlinear development of stationary crossflow vortices and the fundamental resonance of the second mode disturbance in hypersonic boundary layers, are presented to validate the proposed algorithm for NPSE. Results from direct numerical simulation（DNS） are regarded as the baseline for comparison. Good agreement can be found between the proposed algorithm and DNS, which indicates the great potential of the proposed method on studying the crossflow and streamwise instability in hypersonic boundary layers.
