Supersonic base flow investigation over axisymmetric afterbodies

Abstract

Experimental and computational investigations were carried out to study base flows behind afterbodies embedded in a supersonic freestream. Experiments were conducted in a blow down wind tunnel at a nominal Mach number of 2.06 and for an angle of attack of zero degrees. Afterbody models are interchangeable and sting mounted to avoid interference on the base from usual support systems. The experimental study consisted of two axisymmetric afterbodies, a cylindrical afterbody and a tapered afterbody with a conical boattail of 6 degree(s) and a boattail length of one diameter. Results indicate flow visualization, static wall pressure distributions and turbulent flow properties obtained by means of a two-dimensional laser Doppler velocimeter (LDV). Computations were carried out using a multi-dimensional Navier- Stokes code based upon a fully implicit, combined finite volume/flux element discretization approach with a standard k-(epsilon) turbulence model. Computed solutions show some good agreement with experiment as far as the flow field structure, surface and base pressures but show some deficiencies with velocities and shear stress correlations.© (1993) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.