Time-Accurate Computations for Rapid Generation of Missile Aerodynamics

Abstract

*‡ This paper describes a computational research study undertaken to develop new alternate computational fluid dynamics methodology for determination of aerodynamic coefficients accurately and efficiently. A new time-accurate sweep procedure has been used to compute the aerodynamics of complex projectile configurations. Given a steady-state solution, this technique can be used to generate multiple time-accurate numerical solutions over a select range of angles of attack or side-slip angles for a given set of flight parameters. The sweep procedure has been used to compute solutions for an elliptic missile at a supersonic speed and also a low transonic speed, for angle of attack and side-slip sweeps. Separate steady-state solutions for various angles of attack and side-slip angles were also computed for comparison. Finite-volume unstructured Navier-Stokes computational techniques are used, including a two-equation Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence model. Visualization of the numerical solutions provides the qualitative features of the flow field with the projectile at various angles of incidence. Aerodynamic coefficients were extracted from the computed solutions, with good agreement between the steady-state and sweep solutions. The results of this study show that the time-accurate sweep procedure can provide aerodynamic coefficients efficiently and accurately.