Numerical study of flow over blunt bodies moving at supersonic speed

Abstract

In the present study, shock waves produced over different blunt bodies moving at Mach 2.0 at zero angle of attack have been captured and analysed using computational investigations. Forebodies of distinct bluntness (hemisphere, ellipse, and ogive) are adopted, and the effect of the forebody geometry on the flow parameters is investigated. The flow parameters such as shock stand-off distance and shock strength have been captured over various forebody geometries and correlated with the forebody drag coefficient. With the reduction in the forebody bluntness, the shock stand-off distance and the shock strength are found to be decreasing, resulting in a decrease in the forebody drag coefficient values. The effect of the free-stream supersonic Mach number over a typical blunt body (hemisphere) was also investigated. With increasing freestream Mach number, the shock wave generated ahead the blunt hemisphere moved closer to the forebody and an increase in the forebody drag was observed.