Experimental and Numerical Investigation of Aerothermal Characteristics of Hypersonic Intermediate Experimental Vehicle

摘要

The main results of the aerothermodynamic hypersonic characterization of the intermediate experimental vehicle, by means of both computational fluid dynamics simulations and wind-tunnel measurements, have been reported and analyzed in this work, developed in the frame of ESA Future Launcher Preparatory Program. A test campaign has been carried out at the von Karman Institute Free Piston Longshot wind tunnel in a cold hypersonic regime. The numerical simulations, rebuilding the von Karman Institute wind-tunnel conditions, have been performed by the Italian Aerospace Research Center, the goal being to support the procedure of extrapolation-to-flight of the measurements and the general aerothermal characterization. A detailed comparison of all measured and predicted hypersonic relevant phenomena and aerothermodynamic parameters, such as surface pressure and heat flux, is reported in the paper, together with a detailed description of the configuration, freestream conditions, and model attitude effects. The reproducibility of flight conditions in the von Karman Institute Longshot test campaign is qualitatively very good, both in terms of flow features and surface properties as indicated by wind-tunnel numerical simulations. The comparisons of numerical and experimental results indicate a good agreement in terms of external flow structure, i.e., bow shock, shock layer, expansion at the junction on wind ward side, shock-wave boundary-layer interaction in the flap area, and multiple-shock interaction above the flap. Sideslip, angle-of-attack, and flap-deflection effects are correctly reproduced by computational fluid dynamics in terms of pressure coefficient and heat flux.