Large Angle Blunt Cone Research Articles

Aerothermodynamic effects of controlled heat release within the hypersonic shock layer around a large angle blunt cone

Effects of controlled heat addition into the high temperature, chemically reacting shock layer of a large angle (60°) blunt cone with a spherical nose have been experimentally investigated. The exothermic oxidation of ablated chromium from the surface of the cone at hypersonic Mach numbers triggers the heat release process. A conical skirt with a base diameter of 70 mm and a semi-apex angle of 30°, culminating into a nose of radius 30 mm, has been used as the test model. An in-house hypersonic free-piston driven shock tunnel facility, HST3, was used for the experiments at a stagnation enthalpy of 6.31 MJ/kg and a freestream Mach number of 9.84. The temperature distribution in the shock layer was experimentally measured by the two-color ratio pyrometry technique, using a Digital Single Lens Reflex (DSLR) camera as a pyrometer. The temperature field was corrected for discrete radiative line emissions obtained through emission spectroscopy. Surface heat flux measurements were taken using carefully calibrated thin film platinum heat transfer gauges mounted on an insulating Macor substrate. Shock stand-off distances were measured through Schlieren imaging of the flow using a high-speed camera at 20 000 frames per second, and also by a new intensity-scan based method using the processed color image from the DSLR camera. Calculations showed a 173 K rise in the temperature of the gas layer in the stagnation region due to chromium oxidation. The net surface heat flux on the blunt cone was also found to increase by about 31 W/cm2. The shock stand-off distance, as ascertained from Schlieren images, increased from about 3.82 mm (±1.4%) to 4.45 mm (±1.5%), a 17% rise. Analytical calculations, taking chromium oxidation reaction kinetics into consideration, to relate the total exothermic heat release to its distribution into various processes demonstrated that chromium oxidation releases about 78 W/cm2 energy in the stagnation region of the shock layer. 1.9% of this energy increases the temperature of the gas layer, 40% is convected back into the airframe, 0.4% is lost from the rear of the Macor substrate by conduction, and about 8% is radiated into the model. The remaining 50% of the heat was used up in pushing the shock layer away from the body by raising its density, thereby increasing shock stand-off distance.

Numerical Study on Heat Reduction of Various Counterflowing Jets over Highly Blunt Cone in Hypersonic Flow

In this paper, the effectiveness of counterflowing jets as heat-reduction devices for large-angle blunt cones flying at hypersonic Mach numbers is numerically simulated with various coolant jets. Different jet conditions have been chosen to investigate the effect of the counterflow jet on the surrounding flow field of nose cone. The compressible, unsteady, axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations are solved with SST turbulence model for free stream Mach number of 5.75 at 0° angle of attack with and without gas injection. The coolant gas (air, Carbon Dioxide, and helium) is chosen to inject into the hypersonic flow at the nose of the model. The numerical results presented the surface heat reduction for different coolant jets. According to the investigation of various conditions of opposing jets, important phenomena of flow field and some effective jet conditions are found.

Experimental Investigation of the Effects of Aerospike Geometry on Aerodynamic Drag and Heat Transfer Rates for a Blunt Body Configuration at Hypersonic Mach Numbers

The effects of aerospike geometry on the drag reduction and heat transfer rates for a large-angle blunt cone flying at hypersonic Mach numbers are investigated in a hypersonic shock tunnel. Two spike geometries are considered. The first is a plain spike with a conical tip and the second is a telescopic aerospike fitted with discs of decreasing diameter in the direction opposite to the flow direction. These aerospikes are fitted to a 120° apex-angle blunt cone and results are investigated at free stream Mach numbers of 5.75 and 7.9 for different angles of attack. The aerodynamic forces are measured using an accelerometer-based force balance system and the heat transfer rates are measured using platinum thin film sensors. It is found that the telescopic aerospike has better drag reduction performance at angles of attack beyond 2° while the performance of the plain aerospike is better for angles of attack closer to zero degrees.

Numerical simulation of hypersonic flow over highly blunted cones with spike

In this paper, effectiveness of aerodisk/aerospike assemblies as retractable drag-reduction devices for large-angle blunt cones flying at hypersonic Mach numbers is simulated numerically at various angles of attack. Different lengths of spike have been chosen to investigate the effect of the aerospike on the surrounding flowfield of nose cone. The compressible, 3-D full Navier–Stokes equations are solved with k − ω (SST) turbulence model for free stream Mach number of 5.75 and different angles of attack namely 3, 7, 10, and 12. The visualized shock structure and the computed drag on the blunt cone with aerospike agree well with the experimental result. The effect of reattachment of point on the surface convective heat-load reduction is investigated for different kind of spikes with varying length to diameter ratio. Additional modifications to the tip of the spike are examined in order to obtain different bow shocks, including a cut spike, and a flat and hemispherical aerodisk mounted on the tip of the spike. The numerical results presented the pressure distributions and the surface heat reduction for different type of spike. Some discrepancies existed, especially on the length of the recirculation region.

Aerodynamic drag reduction by heat addition into the shock layer for a large angle blunt cone in hypersonic flow

Reduction in aerodynamic drag for a large angle blunt cone flying at hypersonic Mach number by heat addition into the shock layer is demonstrated in HST2 hypersonic shock tunnel. The heat addition is achieved by the exothermic reaction of chromium atoms ablated from the stagnation region of the chromium coated blunt cone with the atomic oxygen behind the shock wave. The measurements show about 47% reduction in the drag coefficient for a 60° apex angle blunt cone in a Mach 8 flow of 3.4MJ∕kg specific enthalpy. The reduction in drag is measured using the accelerometer based force balance system and the heat addition into the shock layer is identified by the surface mounted thin film heat flux gauges and the corresponding movement of the shock wave is visualized by schlieren pictures.

Experimental investigation of drag reduction by forward facing high speed gas jet for a large angle blunt cone at Mach 8

Substantial aerodynamic drag, while flying at hypersonic Mach number, due to the presence of strong standing shock wave ahead of a large-angle bluntcone configuration, is a matter of great design concern. Preliminary experimental results for the drag reduction by a forward-facing supersonic air jet for a 60° apexangle blunt cone at a flow Mach number of 8 are presented in this paper. The measurements are carried out using an accelerometer-based balance system in the hypersonic shock tunnel HST2 of the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. About 29% reduction in the drag coefficient has been observed with the injection of a supersonic gas jet.

Counterflow drag reduction by supersonic jet for a blunt body in hypersonic flow

Counterflow drag reduction by supersonic jet for a large angle blunt cone at hypersonic Mach number is investigated in a shock tunnel. The flowfields around the test model in the hypersonic flow with an opposing supersonic jet emanating from the stagnation point of the model are visualized by high speed schlieren technique. The aerodynamic drag force is measured using the accelerometer based force balance system. The experimental measurements show about 30%–45% reduction in drag coefficient for different jet pressures.

Simultaneous measurement of aerodynamic and heat transfer data for large angle blunt cones in hypersonic shock tunnel

Aerodynamic forces and fore-body convective surface heat transfer rates over a 60° apex-angle blunt cone have been simultaneously measured at a nominal Mach number of 5.75 in the hypersonic shock tunnel HST2. An aluminum model incorporating a three-component accelerometer-based balance system for measuring the aerodynamic forces and an array of platinum thin-film gauges deposited on thermally insulating backing material flush mounted on the model surface is used for convective surface heat transfer measurement in the investigations. The measured value of the drag coefficient varies by about ± 6% from the theoretically estimated value based on the modified Newtonian theory, while the axi-symmetric Navier-Stokes computations overpredict the drag coefficient by about 9%. The normalized values of measured heat transfer rates at 0‡ angle of attack are about 11% higher than the theoretically estimated values. The aerodynamic and the heat transfer data presented here are very valuable for the validation of CFD codes used for the numerical computation of flow fields around hypersonic vehicles.

Film cooling effectiveness on a large angle blunt cone flying at hypersonic speed

Effectiveness of film cooling technique to reduce convective heating rates for a large angle blunt cone flying at hypersonic Mach number and its effect on the aerodynamic characteristics is investigated experimentally by measuring surface heat-transfer rates and aerodynamic drag coefficient simultaneously. The test model is a 60° apex-angle blunt cone with an internally mounted accelerometer balance system for measuring aerodynamic drag and an array of surface mounted platinum thin film gauges for measuring heat-transfer rates. The coolant gas (air, carbon dioxide, and/or helium) is injected into the hypersonic flow at the nose of the test model. The experiments are performed at a flow free stream Mach number of 5.75 and 0° angle of attack for stagnation enthalpies of 1.16MJ∕kg and 1.6MJ∕kg with and without gas injection. About 30%–45% overall reduction in heat-transfer rates is observed with helium as coolant gas except at stagnation regions. With all other coolants, the reduction in surface heat-transfer rate is between 10%–25%. The aerodynamic drag coefficient is found to increase by 12% with helium injection whereas with other gases this increase is about 27%.

Experimental Investigations of Hypersonic Flow over Highly Blunted Cones with Aerospikes

Effectiveness of aerospikes/aerodisk assemblies as retractable drag-reduction devices for large-angle blunt cones flying at hypersonic Mach numbers is investigated experimentally in hypersonic shock tunnel HST2 using a 120-deg apex-angle blunt cone. An internally mounted accelerometer balance system has been used for measuring the aerodynamic drag on the blunt cone with and without forward-facing aerospikes at various angles of attack. The measurements indicate around 55% reduction in drag for the blunt cone with flat-disk spike at zero degree angle of attack for a freestream Mach number of 5.75. Surface convective heat-transfer rate measurements have been carried out on the blunt cone with a flat-disk tipped spike of varying length in order to locate the shock reattachment point on the blunt-cone surface. The measured heat-transfer rates fluctuate by about ±20% in the separated flow region as well as near the reattachment point indicating the unsteady flowfleld around the spiked blunt cone. The shock structure around the 120-deg apex-angle blunt cone with a 12-mm-long flat-tipped aerospike has also been visualized using the electric discharge technique. The visualized shock structure and the measured drag on the blunt cone with aerospikes agree well with the axisymmetric numerical simulations

Shock tunnel study of spiked aerodynamic bodies flying at hypersonic Mach numbers

A three-component accelerometer balance system is used to study the drag reduction effect of an aerodisc on large angle blunt cones flying at hypersonic Mach numbers. Measurements in a hypersonic shock tunnel at a freestream Mach number of 5.75 indicate more than 50% reduction in the drag coefficient for a 120degrees apex angle blunt cone with a forward facing aerospike having a flat faced aerodisc at moderate angles of attack. Enhancement of drag has been observed for higher angles of attack due to the impingement of the flow separation shock on the windward side of the cone. The flowfields around the large angle blunt cone with aerospike assembly flying at hypersonic Mach numbers are also simulated numerically using a commercial CFD code. The pressure and density levels on the model surface, which is under the aerodynamic shadow of the flat disc tipped spike, are found very low and a drag reduction of 64.34% has been deduced numerically.

Studies on the Effects of Test Gas on the Flow Field around Large Angle Blunt Cone Flying at Hypersonic Mach Number.

The effect of the test gas on the flow field around a 120degrees apex angle blunt cone has been investigated in a shock tunnel at a nominal Mach number of 5.75. The shock standoff distance around the blunt cone was measured by an electrical discharge technique using both carbon dioxide and air as test gases. The forebody laminar convective heat transfer to the blunt cone was measured with platinum thin-film sensors in both air and carbon dioxide environments. An increase of 10 to 15% in the measured heat transfer values was observed with carbon dioxide as the test gas in comparison to air. The measured thickness of the shock layer along the stagnation streamline was 3.57 +/- 0.17 mm in air and 3.29 +/- 0.26 mm in carbon dioxide. The computed thickness of the shock layer for air and carbon dioxide were 3.98 mm and 3.02 mm, respectively. The observed increase in the measured heat transfer rates in carbon dioxide compared to air was due to the higher density ratio across the bow shock wave and the reduced shock layer thickness.