Published online by Cambridge University Press: 20 April 2006
The stability of weakly compressible boundary-layer flow over a spring-mounted piston is examined theoretically by modelling the mean boundary layer at low Strouhal numbers by means of a step-function velocity profile. This constitutes a prototype problem for the treatment of the interaction of unsteady boundary-layer flow with a compliant surface, and the present discussion complements a recent analysis due to Ffowcs Williams and Purshouse by incorporating the influence of flow separation at the edges of the piston. This is effected analytically by application of the unsteady Kutta condition at both the leading and trailing edges of the piston. At high Reynolds numbers and in the case of light fluid loading i t is predicted that the separated flow can cause piston flutter. Stability criteria are derived for a rectangular piston of large aspect ratio.