Fast Full-Field Simulation of Sonic Boom Using a Space Marching Method

Abstract

Full-field direct simulation of sonic boom has been performed using a conventional time marching method. However, its high computational burden makes it impractical for conceptual studies and comprehensive investigations of three-dimensional phenomena. In this work, a faster simulation within a stratified atmosphere, extending from a supersonic flying body down to the ground, is achieved by means of a space marching method with semi-adapted structured grids. The governing equations are the three-dimensional steady Euler equations with a gravitational source term, in conjunction with the conservation equations of vibrational energies of and . The full-field simulation reproduces the results of the Drop test for Simplified Evaluation of Non-symmetrically Distributed sonic boom phase 1 (D-SEND#1), conducted by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. The obtained pressure waveforms agree well with those of previous simulations, the numerical solution of the augmented Burgers equation, and the drop test data. The computational cost in a space marching method is less than 1% of the cost required for a time marching method. Therefore, the new full-field simulation method developed in this work is a powerful tool for analyzing three-dimensional sonic boom propagation through a stratified atmosphere while considerably reducing the computational requirements.