Three-Dimensional Flow Simulations over a Typical Sounding Rocket

Abstract

Aerodynamic flow simulations over a typical sounding rocket are presented. Sounding rocket configurations usually require fairly large fins and, quite frequently, have more than one set of fins. In order to be able to handle such configurations, the present work uses a novel methodology which combines both Chimera and patched multiblock grids in the discretization of the computational domain. The flows of interest are modeled using the 3-D Euler equations and the work describes the details of the discretization procedure, which uses a finite difference approach for structured, body-conforming, multiblock grids. The method is used to calculate the aerodynamics of a sounding vehicle currently under development. The results indicate that the present approach can be a powerful aerodynamic analysis and design tool.