Patent ID: 8359825

Claim:
A method of controlling shock waves formed by a protuberance on a surface which is subjected to a supersonic flow of compressible gas, comprising: a. providing a microjet on said surface, said microjet being located upstream from said protuberance along said surface, with said microjet being oriented to inject a flow produced by said microjet into said supersonic flow; b. providing a supply of compressed gas to said microjet, with said supply of compressed gas being related to the ambient pressure of said supersonic flow of said compressible gas by a pressure ratio; c. providing a control valve for selectively turning on and off said microjet; d. turning on said microjet; e. setting said pressure ratio so that said microjet creates an oblique shock wave of a desired strength upstream from said protuberance, thereby modifying said shock wave formed by said protuberance; f. providing a pressure sensor proximate said protuberance for sensing the formation of a shock wave by said protuberance; g. providing a control computer, wherein said control computer monitors said pressure sensor and selectively activates said control valve; h. automatically activating said control valve to turn on said microjet when said pressure sensor senses the formation of said shock wave by said protuberance; i. providing a pressure ratio sensor capable of measuring said pressure ratio across said microjet; j. providing said control valve with a throttling function capable of varying said pressure ratio; and k. wherein said control computer monitors said pressure ratio sensor and controllably actuates said throttling function to adjust said pressure ratio.