Experimental and numerical investigation on the unsteady interaction in longitudinal stage separation for parallel-staged two-body configuration

Abstract

Hypersonic stage separation is a significant process, probably involving complex aerodynamic interaction, which determines the survival of two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) vehicles. The longitudinal stage separation (LSS) scheme is proposed to improve the safety of the parallel-staged TSTO vehicle, where a small interstage gap may result in weak interference. Therefore, an experimental and numerical study of LSS for the parallel-staged TSTO vehicle at Mach 7 with different angles of attack (AoA) is carried out. The dynamic interaction, including variations in the shock structure, wall pressure distribution, and unsteady aerodynamics, is investigated by testing and numerical simulation. The LSS experiments for the TSTO vehicle were performed using a high-speed pneumatic ejection launch system in the JF-12 shock tunnel, and the method was developed using high-speed visualization and image processing techniques to capture the separating trajectory. The numerical simulations were carried out using the overset grid method and solving the Navier–Stokes equations coupled with the rigid body dynamics equations to obtain the laminar flows over the TSTO vehicle during LSS. The qualitative and quantitative comparison of the test and numerical results showed good agreement in terms of aerodynamic performance, flowfield pattern, wall pressure, and separation trajectory. They show that the small interstage gap of the LSS leads to weak type I and VI shock–shock interactions, with short-duration weak shock reflection at a higher AoA. Furthermore, no shock reflection or interstage gap is observed at lower AoA. Moreover, no stage recontact is observed, and the safety and feasibility of LSS for parallel-staged TSTO vehicles are demonstrated.