Configuration Design, Aerodynamics, and Flight Dynamics of a Generic Supersonic Projectile

Abstract

The dynamic pitch derivatives of an axisymmetric conceptual projectile were examined using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). Stability coefficients and derivatives are used to determine a vehicle’s motion and are critical for the design of flight vehicles and control. Using CFD to estimate the flight parameters of new munition designs has the potential to significantly improve performance and reduce research and testing costs that are required for wind tunnel testing. In this research a methodology of CFD analysis is established through validation of two test cases and then applied on a new conceptual design. The static cases were also implemented in missile DATCOM for a comparative analysis. The dynamic damping derivatives were calculated using the forced oscillation approach. For the validation of the CFD method “Basic Finner model” was used. The pitch damping coefficients were simulated for angles of attack from 0o to 20o and a good agreement was found between the CFD and experimental results. A conceptual geometry was also designed and simulated at a Mach number of 1.5. A parametric analysis was also conducted for the variation of Mach number and reduced pitch rate on pitch damping coefficients for the new design. Through this study the use of CFD as a tool for determining fast and consistent estimates for the Aerodynamic stability parameters was established.