DSMC numerical simulation of lateral jet interaction with rarefied atmosphere

Abstract

Hybrid Cartesian grids and surface unstructured triangular cells are used in the DSMC method to simulate lateral jet interaction flow with rarefied atmosphere in transitional regime. The self-adaption of uniform Cartesian grid is conducted according to the local density gradient. The parallel DSMC code is used to compute the lateral jet interaction of a three-dimensional flat plate model on low density wind tunnel test conditions. The results of complex flow field structures, surface flow characteristics and separation lengths agree well with experimental data. The supersonic and hypersonic lateral jet interactions with hypersonic rarefied incoming flow on a slender blunt double-cone are investigated. The effects of flight altitudes, free stream velocities and angles of attack on plume-atmosphere interaction flow fields are numerically analyzed. The influences of parameter distributions with uniform /non-uniform nozzle exit on the separation distance and vortex structure near the jet are simulated in detail.