SIMULATION OF FLOW OVER BLUNTED CONE

Abstract

Hypersonic research activities has been in major focus in recent times around the globe because of the tremendous developments in hypersonic reentry vehicles, orbital transfer vehicles, reusable launch vehicles and space recovery experimental modules. The vehicles re-enters the earth’s atmosphere at hypersonic speed. In this study a re-entry vehicle in the shape of a blunted cone is investigated. Since it is not possible to reproduce all aspects of hypersonic flight in wind tunnel facilities, so there is a need for better computer codes regarding hypersonic aerodynamics, so the simulation of re-entry vehicles is very important. In this a computer code based on the aerodynamics of the blunted cone-flare will be developed using time marching numerical simulation. This code was benchmarked using analytical results. The code was then applied to unfold detailed spatial and temporal profiles of flow over the blunted cone. These profiles are compared with the results obtained using commercial software. The computed results were also compared with experimental results based on hypersonic wind tunnel testing. A good agreement was achieved between the analytical results, the results based on the code developed, those using commercial software and the hypersonic wind tunnel results.