Numerical Analysis of the Pressure, Temperature, and Aerodynamic Forces on Hypersonic Blunt Hemispherical Shaped Body

Abstract

Aerodynamic force measurement is identified as one of the critical challenges in the hypersonic regime. For the specific trajectory of the hypersonic flight, structure of a vehicle and its control surfaces govern the aerodynamic forces. Henceforth, consolidation of the forces acting on the body is critically important for the design point of view. In this paper, CFD analysis have been used to quantify pressure, temperature, drag and lift forces on a blunt hemispherical shaped body placed at \(\mathbf{0} ^\circ \)–\(\mathbf{30} ^\circ \) with \(\mathbf{5} ^\circ \) interval to provide the broad range of value, at sudden Mach 8 flow. Analysis of shock structure and separation of the flow at a different angle of attack were quantified. Further, pressure distribution, temperature profile, and the trend of the Lift and Drag forces were observed at Mach 8 flow. ANSYS Fluent has been used for CFD analysis for deriving pressure forces on the surface of the model. Forces derived through simulation are validated by comparing with the Newtonian and experimental Impulse Force balance technique.